Anyone who has experienced a sharp 90-degree turn from where they were headed can attest to how destabilizing a career change can be. With an unexpected career shift, the ground is swept from underneath your feet, and it shakes the reality you know.

Whether it was your choice, the fact remains that a career change can be disorienting and overwhelming. However, this doesn’t mean it is impossible to get through.

With these five proven ways, you can navigate an unexpected career transition unscathed.

1.   Set aside time to worry

Although worrying seems counterproductive to what you’re trying to achieve, it’s actually better for you to set aside time for it. Worrying is something that can’t be helped, especially for people who often get stressed out easily and worry all day and night.

Since trying to stop it is futile, allow yourself some 15 minutes or so in a day to give in to worry. This can help you control the habit and make you more productive in facing the forthcoming change.

Once the time is up, you can remind yourself that you’ve had enough worrying for one day — literally.

2.   Get closure

A transition requires closure, which is why you have to get one before you move on in a career shift. If you don’t tie up loose ends, you’ll find it hard to move on.

To get closure, you must first accept the fact that this chapter of your career is coming to an end. Know that there’s nothing to go back to, and there’s no need to.

And you have to make sure it is so: you don’t owe your old employer anything, and any ongoing projects are no longer yours to worry about. Only after you do this can you move forward.

3.   Conduct a self-assessment

Before jumping into a job search, you must first take the time to assess yourself. A 9-to-5 grind often leaves you unable to get things into perspective, so when you’re out of that cycle, you have to plot your course carefully. And to do that, you must first know where you stand.

Remember that the more you know about yourself—especially what you can do and why you want to do it—the more value you’ll get from the career change.

To find out, consider asking yourself these questions:

What skills do I have that I love?

While you may not like most of your duties in your old job, there should be at least one or two tasks that have helped get you through every workday. The skills you use for doing the things you love should be part of your focus on finding your next job, as it is likely the thing that will make you happy in the next chapter of your career.

What skills do I need to use that I dislike?

Besides the things you like, it is also a good idea to determine what you dislike in your old job. Be honest with yourself, as your answer can affect how well you’ll be enjoying your next job.

What is the most important thing for me at work?

Next, you’ll want to assess your priorities in your career. Whether you want to make a difference in your country or wish to catalyze change in someone’s life, pinpointing what you value most can help you have something to get excited about at work (besides getting your paycheck, of course).

What am I interested in now, and what do I want to learn?

There are also certain hobbies that you may want to be able to do at work. Since these activities are directly tied to your passion, considering them on your next job hunt will make it easier to land a job that doesn’t feel like work and one that you’ll love to do for a long time.

What was I doing when I was at the happiest point of my career?

Like passion, fulfillment is also important in a career. To know this, you must try to recall the happy moments you had at work. These instances that give you a sense of fulfillment can also guide your choice in your next career.

4.   Do some research and use your network

Now that you know yourself better, it is time for you to expand your knowledge about the industry. And what better way to do this than with research?

When gathering information, look at job descriptions and requirements in the industry that you’re interested in. This can be the same sector where you used to work or a different one, just remember not to be discouraged if you don’t have the skills required for certain jobs yet. Remember that this is just for research.

Apart from job posts, social media can also be an excellent source of information.

Twitter can be useful for knowing industry trends, but you can also search for people on LinkedIn who once held or are holding positions you’re looking into. Send them a message and ask about their career paths, particularly the steps they took. Although some will ignore you, others will provide helpful knowledge.

The real value of your connections on LinkedIn does not lie in just getting connected, but rather in an exchange of knowledge. If you have friends and connections working in the same industry you want to enter, ask for help.

5.   Get ready for change

Not all changes can be predicted. If you’re lucky, you’ll be given a heads-up of the upcoming transition you need to take that could at least give you some time to prepare for the shift. So, if you have the luxury of knowing what will happen soon, take steps to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Below are some things you can do:

Upskill

Once you’ve decided on a career and evaluated your current skills, you may realize that you need to gain more knowledge and skills to fare well in the new job you’re aiming for. This is where upskilling can come in handy.

You can go back to school or enroll in online classes. You can also try partaking in a career development program. Keep your research in mind and let it guide your decisions in what courses to take and skills to hone.

Update your paperwork

Besides upping your credentials, you also need to update your application arsenal for when it’s time to go job hunting again.

Update and polish your resume. Ask professionals in your network in the same industry to know if they would be willing to vouch for your skills and act as references.

You may also need to update and improve your portfolio. When doing so, gather the best samples you have from your past work.

Make a painless career shift

Changing courses suddenly can be daunting and overwhelming, but it is definitely not an impossible situation. A painless career shift depends on how prepared you are and how well you’ve set yourself up for the future.

AUTHOR BIO

Leila Rezaiguia is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Kompass Consultancy, an innovative global talent management consultancy headquartered in Dubai and with offices in Abu Dhabi and Sydney, that specialises in enabling individuals, organisations and educational institutions to achieve performance excellence and career success. Leila is a multi-lingual (English, Arabic and French) PCC Coach, Mentor Coach, Trainer, Facilitator and Business Mentor who is passionate about coaching, women in leadership, talent management and organisational development.

Upon entering this world, you’ll earn a pedigree to start your own food business. But cooking certification classes can do more than give you the right to own a restaurant or prepare showy dishes. It also teaches you many unexpected things.

While there may be a lot of mistakes along the way, at the end of the day, you’ll be one skill ahead of others who haven’t been in a professional kitchen. But what exactly can you get from partaking in cooking classes?

Below are five things you can look forward to learning when you enroll in culinary school:

1.   Perfecting Your Knife Skills

When you enter culinary school, you're not just honing your cooking skills, you'll also sharpen your skills when handling the knife.

For a professional chef, the knife is the most important kitchen tool. This explains why culinary schools – or even amateur cooking classes – emphasize learning the proper way of using a knife.

Since many beginners tend to grip it too far back in the handle, one of the first things you’ll be taught is the correct way to hold a knife. This entails where to grip it and where to place your guide hand. You will also be mastering the “rolling technique” used for cutting herbs and vegetables.

Remember that the trick to cooking all the ingredients evenly is to cut them down to just the right size. Try roasting big chunks of potatoes with minutely minced garlic. You'll find that the latter would burn even before the former is cooked through.

When perfecting your knife skills, you’ll also learn how to cut weirdly shaped onion and oblong carrots in a similar shape and size as a round potato. The key is to practice — a lot.

Once you get used to using your knife, your slices will become nice and even. You’ll even learn fancy knife cuts, such as:

• Julienne
• Chiffonade
• Brunoise
• Roll-cuts
• Batonnet
• Paysanne
• Tournée

2.   Sharpening Your Knife

When you practice with your knife a lot, you’ll realize that you can’t be a productive chef without a sharp knife. And in the kitchen, a dull knife is a dangerous knife.

Fortunately, culinary school also teaches aspiring chefs how to sharpen their knives properly.

Keep in mind that, when knives are sharp, it makes chopping and slicing so much easier. Plus, using a sharp knife makes it harder to cut yourself compared to a dull one, which can bounce off and slip from the ingredient you’re prepping and end up somewhere else (like your finger).

Pro Tip: How do you know if your knife is dull? If it bounces off a carrot, it’s dull.

3.   Clever Use of Tools

Many tools in the kitchen have more than one purpose. But did you know that, when you learn to become a pro, you’ll also pick up clever and unexpected ways on how to use them?

Below are some examples:

Damp towel

Towels are commonly used for wiping surfaces and even a chef’s sweat caused by the smoldering heat in the kitchen. But there’s one more use for this underrated kitchen tool: to keep the cutting board in place.

Almost any cook – professional or not – would agree that it can be annoying to chop on a cutting board that keeps moving around a slippery counter. To lock it in place, dampen a dish towel and place it underneath the board.

Bench scraper

Like towels, bench scrapers are tools that are made for one purpose but can also be used for another. Besides clearing surfaces, bench scrapers are handy tools that can help you transfer ingredients from a cutting board to a container.

Besides preventing your knife from dulling from dragging across the cutting board, using a bench scraper to move cut ingredients also helps you gather more food at a single time. Thus, less effort is needed.

Ice cream scooper

Ice cream scoopers are good for more than just scooping ice cream – they can also be used to take portions of cookie dough and keep them in the same size when laid out on a baking pan. Cookies that are the same size bake evenly. The same goes for muffins and cupcakes.

4.   Mise en Place

Before culinary school, you probably have never heard of the phrase “mise en place.” This phrase, which is French for “everything in its place,” describes when a pro chef prepares everything needed for the recipe before the actual cooking begins.

Culinary students would often begin their cooking sessions with a 15-minute organized scramble that entails grabbing and measuring each and every ingredient they need for the dishes they would cook.

While it may seem like an unnecessary task at first, it can become a habit that will make you more efficient and productive in the kitchen.

Say, for example, you’re making a recipe that requires a lot of mixing, like the risotto. You’ll need salt, pepper, arborio rice, white wine, butter, chopped onions, and grated Parmesan cheese. With mise en place, you’ll never have to leave the pot while the heat is on to prep for the ingredients you need to toss in next.

5.   Clean as You Go

If you haven’t developed a habit of cleaning as you go along the kitchen before entering culinary school, you’ll need to learn fast. A professional kitchen should always be tidy, and this is achieved by following a strict protocol of removing trash from your workstation while you work, not after.

Often, pro kitchens have a towel soaked with sanitizer available within an arm’s reach for quick cleanup. They also have a trash bin and a three-compartment sink where you can scrape, wash, rinse, sanitize and air dry items that were used.

Every Move is Important

In the kitchen, every move is important. When you enroll in a cooking class, you’ll learn things you never thought were important but can actually make food preparation much more efficient.

AUTHOR BIO

Shanaaz Raja is the Course Director at International Centre for Culinary Arts - ICCA Dubai.

With its successful immigration history, Canada welcomes millions of students who are looking for better opportunities. In three years, you can get the benefits of free education, medical care, and eligibility for citizenship. But before anything else, you need a Canada student visa.

However, applying for a student visa is not as easy as it sounds. It can be the most nerve-racking part of the planning process of studying abroad. But as long as you’re able to submit the requirements, your application will surely be successful.

Here are six tips to help you start your student visa application for Canada.

1. Choose a university to apply for and get an acceptance letter.

Before you begin your visa application, decide which university you want to study. Once you’re accepted in a university, you will receive an acceptance letter. This is one of the major requirements for a student visa application.

2. Check if you need a visa.

There are different requirements for each country. Your country of origin may not require you to have a student visa. For example, European students may not need a visa to study in another European country.

Do a double check on the particular visa and immigration requirements for Canada. There are companies which offer free immigration consultation that you can avail of.

But if you’re in one of the following situations, you don’t need a visa for Canada:

• You’re a staff or family member of a foreign representative in Canada. Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) in Canada should accredit this.
• Although you’re a citizen of another country, you have a registered Indian status in Canada.
• You’re a member of foreign armed forces (Visiting Forces Act).
• You have enrolled in a program that will last for less than six months.

Take note, even if you don’t need a visa, you may need a student pass, accreditation or Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to study in Canada.

3. Prepare your passport photos and documents.

You have to ensure that you have read the documentation requirements thoroughly. Make sure you have everything in order before you submit your papers.

If your documents don’t meet the requirements, they won't grant you a visa. You will have to go through the entire process again and you may pay a new set of application fees. Always do a double check so that you won’t have to go through the cumbersome visa process again.

Make sure your passport has at least four to six blank pages. The visa will only take one page but other embassies may need you to have at least two blank pages. If your passport does not have enough pages, they may require you to renew it.

4. Get an English language proficiency test.

You may need to go through an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. This is one of the major requirements for visa application. Every case is different on what score you will need in order to pass.

A visa consultant will be able to advise you on the things you need for the exam. Make sure that your test scores are still be valid during your visa application. If your IELTS scores are set to expire during your study program, prepare to retake the exam whenever necessary.

5. Be prepared to pay an amount.

Visa application will require you to pay a certain processing fee. This fee is payable the moment you submit your application. Some countries allow online applications and payment through debit or credit cards.

Always check if there are some extra fees that you will have to pay in person. If this is the case, you should have enough cash on hand to avoid delays in your application.

6. Be informed.

There are some cases wherein you will be required to undergo an interview for a student visa. In this case, you have to ensure that you have enough knowledge about your study program. Prepare to justify why you want to complete your chosen course of study in Canada.

Your student visa application may take a long time to process. Since the processing is beyond your control, you can apply early to avoid delays. This way, you have some leeway if ever your visa isn’t ready in time.

Remember to stay calm. Appearing agitated will give immigration officials a reason to pore over your application. Applying for a student visa will seem stressful at first. But if you have all your documents ready, and you have paid all the necessary fees, then there’s no reason for your application to fail.

AUTHOR BIO

Bevan Berning is an Immigration professional and owner of Pathway Visas, an Immigration Agency dealing mostly with skilled immigration to Canada and Australia. Bevan’s enthusiasm for the industry has kept in the Immigration field for the past seven years. Bevan is South African by birth and has been residing in Dubai for the past eight years.

Does the environment fit your child?

Each child requires special attention and interaction. We need to make sure we put our children in a school that will allow him to succeed. This means if he is creative, then he should be in a school that emphasis creativity. Many children start preschool at different levels, some can speak better than others, some have trouble with certain sounds, some can color great, and others no. A well-organized preschool should have teachers that can address each child according to their needs and avoid a one size fits all teaching approach.

Does the school fit your needs?

As parents, we have needs when our children start school as well. Some schools require that parents are very involved, while others shy away from parent involvement. If you work a full time and can’t be involved in the classroom maybe the school is not for you. Also, if you want to be there every day overseeing the learning, maybe the school is not a good fit. Another important aspect to see is the schedule. Does their schedule fit with your schedule? Do they have a short day or extended day? These are questions we must ask ourselves and the school.

Philosophy

Educational philosophy shapes every aspect of the school. If your child is social but the school doesn’t emphasize play time or group time your child can feel lonely. Does the school encourage a teacher led classrooms? What role does the teacher have? Most importantly, will your child come home repeating things from other that you are not happy with. Children are sponges and care must be taken to have them in a preschool (or even daycare) that fits your education philosophy as well.

Ask Around

One of the best measure of a good preschool is to see the results. Ask to speak to current parents or parents with have children that have attended in the past. See what the children learned and how they learned. Most parents will be more than happy to share their experiences with others.

The common denominator in all of this is that we must investigate and not go in with closed eyes. Asking is half the effort. Once we show an interest it will be easier to determine if your local preschool is for you.

It has never been too late to get an education and there’s no limit to education. You’ll never study and reach a point where you’ve exhausted everything. Each day is a learning day and one learns something new till they die. A good education is imperative in the modern world as it’s a measure of how intelligent one is and is a very important factor when it comes to job placements. People with a much higher education are given the most executive and important positions in an organization. However, it does not necessarily mean that education guarantees better jobs. What it does, it gives people perspective of the things around them and learning from their experiences. It opens their eyes to opportunities around them and that’s why you see that most educated people become successful entrepreneurs who ensure the economic growth of their countries. Education helps in fostering the principle of equality and socialism bringing about a better society. With education, your self-esteem improves and you can take on the world with confidence. For this and more information, make sure to check LOFT.

There are many different ways to find jobs these days, especially on the internet. While everyone knows about searching on jobs sites and Craigslist, many are not aware that you can use your social media profile to your advantage when hunting for a job.

A lot of people who are starting off with this new career say “tell me more about being a dental assistant”. It is a good idea to have a firm grip of the job you are applying for, especially if you are having interviews for the position in the coming weeks and months. Not only must you complete all your certifications, but you must have a good sense of the job requirements for dental assistants

It may sound odd, but it is possible to find jobs as a dental assistant, among other professions, by being proactive on social media. Here is a guide that will tell you about how and why you should be using social media to your advantage when you are looking for a job.

Technology

No one expects you to be an expert when it comes to technology, especially when you are applying for dental assistant positions. But having some sense of how social media and other technology-related things work is always a bonus. After all, many dental offices are now using fully-electronic systems for arranging their patient files and other data pertaining to the business. So it is a good idea to have a decent amount of familiarity with computers and technology, and a social media presence definitely highlights that a person is tech-savvy.

Search for Jobs

If you are interested in finding a dental assistant position that is close to where you live, you may want to take a look at the many different dental offices that exist in your area. Depending on where you live, there could be two or three offices, or as many as 10 or 15. It is a good idea to follow these various establishments online, either through their social media accounts or their websites. If they have a social media account and you are following them, you can get updates regarding the business. If they are ever looking to hire, they may post a message on social media highlighting the new job positions. This would give you a leg up on anyone else who also wants to apply.

Learn About Companies

Aside from seeing if companies are putting up job availability links on their social media accounts, you can also get a sense for how these places are run. You will get a far better idea of the culture behind these various establishments if you are following them on social media. If they have Facebook and Twitter accounts, you can see the pictures or videos they may post on the accounts. These multimedia files can give you an inside look into the business, while you can also familiarize yourself with the main dentists at each facility. When you go in for your interview, you will be very well prepared, especially as you can demonstrate some of the things you know about the company.

The basics

In junior school, children from the age of five, go through six years of progressive education. The basic reading and writing skills are focused on in the first year, with a foundation in arithmetic and the sciences also being established. As the student develops, the level of academic instruction increases, as each subject is studied in more depth.

Higher learning

Senior grades take on more urgency with the core subjects, and standards become higher. Halfway through the six year program, the student should be thinking about career selection, which will determine the subjects to focus on. A good senior school will introduce careers at this stage, and help the students to decide on a suitable occupation. In WA, there is One of the best Christian Schools in Perth at Kingsway Christian College. Guidance counsellors are at hand in the final two years, as the student prepares to go on to a university, or a college, for further education. Some young people are better suited to working with their hands, and many will attend a vocational college to acquire skills that will enable them to find a good job within the local community.

Holistic approach

One would hope that moral values are also stressed, and with a range of interactive strategies, the child will grow up as a responsible and compassionate adult, with something to contribute to society. Schooling is very much a preparation for adult life, as it teaches the children to conform, and with university looming, those grades need to be good.

Whole child

Education is more than just whiteboard and text books, with schools that have become lifelong learning organisations, a student can develop emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. This “whole child” approach is now the trend in western education, moving away from the traditional methods which stresses academic excellence, towards a curriculum that stimulates the child, not just his or her intellect. As technology continues to rise exponentially, and business competition ratchets up, the need for a solid education will be even more apparent. Should a family be looking for the best Christian schools in Perth, or anywhere else, there are established forward-thinking schools to help the students be successful in their future.

Job opportunities

If one wishes to pursue a professional career, university is essential. The four years a of bachelor program, introduces the theoretical side of the field, and takes the learner deeper still. Practical, hands-on experience is gained as the students are subjected to real life situations, as well as the academic classroom instruction. When a student graduates with a Bachelor Degree, he or she is now ready for the job market.

Today’s children need good education, so that they may become the next generation of caring adults, continuing the positive development of their forefathers.

Pic Source

The Layout

You might not have considered it all that much, but the layout of the classroom is actually of paramount importance. The layout dictates many things about the education which happens inside those walls. You can often tell from the layout of a classroom what kind of teaching goes on in there - and how successful it is (or not). If your teaching has become a little stale - and it happens to the best of us - then this is something you can do. Changing the layout can really breathe fresh life into your education system. As for what kind of layout to choose - well, that is partly down to taste and opinion. However, it would be advisable to go for a combination of individual and group tables. This ensures that all personality styles are catered to. And that is important in the early days. More on this here: teacher.scholastic.com/tools/class_setup/

The Technology

While no technology is essential for the successful education of children, you may as well make use of what there is. The latest technology in education can be really quite innovative. Software such as those found at http://www.payschools.com can work wonders for improving education standards. The fact is, the word that the children are going out into is one full of technology. It makes sense to ensure that they are used to such things as early as possible. Used right, this kind of technology can really help to enhance a child’s education.

The Method

When it comes to teaching children, there is nothing more effective than a continual change of method. Time and again, research shows that what works in education is for the learning to be active. In order to achieve this, it makes sense to shake things up once in a while. This also has the advantage of keeping the new ideas fresh in the children’s minds. If you are looking to upgrade your classroom, then this might be worth considering. Try changing your approach - even if only for a day or two - and see the kind of effect it has. Chances are, you’ll be surprised.

The monk-like lifestyle

Okay, so maybe “living like a monk” might be taking it too far. But one of the most important ways of saving large amounts of money is to live much more frugally. We forget how expensive modern life can be. A train ticket there, a film ticket there; some candy here, a music concert there. They don’t seem like big money sinks at first, but they all add up.

Flickr

Sorry to have to say this, but cutting down on luxury purchases is what you’ll have to do here. I know that the luxury lifestyle was probably what you went to college to achieve, but it can’t be lived as soon as you get out. Save as much money as you can and work at it gradually.

Volunteer work

It’s possible to help those in need and pay back your loans at the same time. There are organizations out there who provide money towards your student loan debts in exchange for your time. These include the Volunteers In Service To America, the Peace Corps and Teach for America.

There is also SponsorChange, which allows you to specify causes and job categories that will suit you best. Web design, fundraising and strategic development are all options. These arrangements are a type of loan forgiveness, about which more will be said below.

Debt consolidation

Students don’t always get their loans from one place. In fact, most students in America have several loans. Sometimes, they have a mixture of loans with both federal parties and private ones. Owing several debts to several institutes means more interest rates, which in the long term is going to cost you more money.

Visual Hunt

One option that may be available to you is student loan consolidation. This takes all your federal loans and combines (or consolidates) them all into one debt with a single interest rate. This can save you some money, but it's mostly beneficial in other ways. For example, by having just one consolidated debt instead of several, you will have more options when it comes to repayment or relief plans.

Loan forgiveness

Student loan forgiveness can take many forms. The most common takes the form of a public service career. Let’s say you went to college and got yourself qualified to teach or work in healthcare. You can make that degree of yours work towards loan repayment through a ‘forgiveness’ program.

Many low-income areas or rural communities lack in specific professions. Loan forgiveness may be offered to recent graduates willing to work in that area. Teachers, firefighters, doctors, lawyers, law enforcement - many of the most socially-important professions. There will be a contract you must sign and adhere to. You must pay attention to the contractual stipulations carefully, lest you lose the debt assistance.

Signing up for an online college degree doesn't mean that you'll be getting substandard instruction. An accredited online institution ensures that students get adequate online guidance from their professor with the use of internet tools. Challenging individual and group projects may be given by your professors, for which you can use various online resources. Forums, message boards and chat rooms are often provided in online community college websites to have a venue for and encourage interaction between online students.
 
 Essentially, there are a wide array of online healthcare education degrees accessible for you to earn through online colleges. You need to simply determine which degree is correct for you, consider what one will best benefit your future, then choose which school you'll attend to achieve your online healthcare education degree.

Allow for Renovations

There’s nothing worse than when you want to carry out renovations, but it means losing a couple of classrooms. This can play havoc with the school day and can be disruptive to lesson plans. However, you need to understand that sometimes renovations are essential. The trick is to come up with a way to do renovation work that doesn’t affect the teaching. This is where temporary classrooms can prove to be invaluable. They offer this opportunity and help the school function as normal while repairs and renovations are going on.

Increase Capacity

These days it seems like a lot of schools are at capacity and can’t take any more children. And this is a shame because it often means that kids will miss out when it comes to learning. Also, some schools are quite small, but can’t take more kids due to size, even if they wanted to. Temporary classrooms allow your school to increase capacity and give more kids learning opportunities. This helps you to make a difference in the lives of these children. And, as a bonus, you may well enjoy and increased budget due to your new capacity.

Make Learning the Focus

When you run a school, you need to make one thing a priority, and that is learning. The children are there to learn from you, so they need to be the focus. The reason temporary classrooms are so great is because they can do this. They provide extra classroom space away from any distractions. Check out temporary-classrooms.co.uk to see the kind of classrooms you could bring into the school. This helps the school to focus at a much more impressive level. It also means that if any work is going on you don’t lose teaching space.

Helps You Manage Finances

The worst part about running a school is the financial constraints that are in place. These can cause havoc with plans to develop the school. It’s a shame that children’s learning should be affected by something like the budget, but this is all too common. And this is why portable classrooms are so vital for schools. They provide extra classroom space at prices that are much more budget-friendly. This allows you to keep on top of managing your school's finances and saving money on the budget.

Image Source

As you can see, there are quite a few reasons why it’s beneficial to have portable classrooms. You need to understand that a school is a centre for learning, and that need to be the focus. Temporary classrooms are invaluable to the modern school as a great way of saving money and helping children learn.

Draw Up a Budget

Before you can start managing your finances, you need to know what you'll be facing. Aside from fees for your course or tuition, there are lots of other costs your education can incur. For example, you may need to pay for textbooks, eating on campus, educational trips and more. The first thing you can do is create a budget for all your expenses so that you know what you need to pay and when. You can look at the affordability of everything you need to pay for, to make sure you can handle it.

Look for Financial Aid

There are lots of ways you can help paying for your education, whether it's from an educational institution, your bank or even your parents. It's important to make sure that you're getting the help available to you or your child to ensure that paying any costs is as easy as possible. You might be able to get scholarships, loans or other forms of help to reduce your expenses or to delay payment of them.

Tax Credits

Create a Payment Plan

Of course, one of the biggest costs if you continue your education as an adult, or send your child to a private school, is the tuition. Whether you're paying directly or via a loan, it's a good idea to know how and when you'll be paying it. Drawing up a payment plan will help you stay on top of everything, and you can include smaller, everyday expenses as well.

Pay ASAP

To help you manage your money, making payments as swiftly as possible is the best thing to do. As soon as the money leaves your account, you don't have to worry about it anymore. Using tools such as mobile apps to pay schools online makes it easier to send out payments. So you don't have to wait days for a transaction to go through. You won't risk accidentally spending money that you don't have to spend.

Make Savings on Essentials

Don't forget that there are always ways to save money, even on essential things you need to pay for. For example, you can save on textbooks by buying them secondhand. You could also download them or even find free resources online instead of buying physical copies.

It can be difficult to concentrate on your education when you're worrying about money. Make things easier for yourself by getting organized.

Now, there are plenty of ways you can do this; it depends a lot on what you want to get out of it. But if you can take steps to further your education now you’re going to be well placed to benefit from it. The good news is that education has developed to the stage where it’s now easier than ever to continue your studies. This is a list of just some of the great ways and helpful tips you can use to further your education after school.

Take School Seriously

It all starts at a grassroots level; you need to take school seriously. It’s important to work hard and be dedicated. You need to get the best grades possible in school to give yourself the most options for further education. This means you need to apply yourself in lessons. Stop messing around with friends! Take steps to try to learn things. And make sure you prepare for your exams. There’s going to be a lot of stress around exam time, so you need to give yourself the best chance of passing. You’ve got to ensure you do plenty of studying and revision. And try to get a sensible amount of rest too.

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Get Help With the College Process

If you want to go into further education, you’re most likely going to be looking at going to college. If this is the case, you need to be sure you get help with the college process. There’s a lot to account for, and it can be quite convoluted. So you need someone au fait with the application process. Have a look for a college coach near you to get the ball rolling. Of course, they don’t have to be local to you, but this is a good place to start. With a college coach helping you, it will be much simpler to negotiate the admissions process. And it will set you up for your college journey.

Consider Online Courses

The good thing about the internet is it’s made so many things accessible these days. And education is no different. In fact, there are plenty of online courses you have the opportunity to do. These are brilliant because they’re convenient and can be done in your own time. If you’re older, or have children, or can’t afford to pay for college, this option is perfect. Do a bit of research and find out what online courses are available, and whether any strike your fancy.

It’s so important nowadays to have as much education as you can. This helps with job prospects and improves your way of life. A lot of people don’t appreciate the importance of getting a good education until it’s too late. You need to make sure you take your education seriously now, so you reap the benefits when you’re older.  

• Create a quiet space for them to work

There is no point in expecting your children to get a good grade if they revise in the living room. Your TV is far too loud and distracting. They need to be in a quiet space where they will not be disturbed every five minutes. So, perhaps you should go ahead and convert that spare bedroom into a study? Either that or you could get them a new desk and move some of those distracting electrical items out of their bedroom. Kids who have a dedicated working area are much more likely to perform well in exams.

• Draw up a revision timetable

Putting their revision into some order is always going to be a wise move. Otherwise, it can seem like they have a mountain of work in front of them. Just make sure you plan around two hours revision every single night from about a month before they are due to take the exam. That should give them enough time to go over anything they don’t understand and  refresh their memory on everything else.

• Get them some expert help

Those who decide to hire a tutor for their kid’s ISEE test prep tend to encourage better results. Spending extra cash on your child’s education shouldn’t be considered a bad thing. Sometimes having one to one assistance can help them to understand things better and feel more confident. At the end of the day, your loved one will struggle to get top marks for any test if they are anxious and worried about the outcome. A private tutor could help to ensure your child walks into that hall with all the knowledge needed to succeed.

• Revise with them

Spending some time going over all the information your child needs to learn for the exam is sensible. If they know you are taking an active interest in how they are doing, they are more likely to go the extra mile. Also, revising with them will help you to determine their learning style. That will come in handy when it comes to planning the revision timetable and selecting the best professional help. When all’s said and done, who doesn’t try to impress their parents?

However you decide to progress, the tips of this page should help to point you in the right direction. We wish you the best of luck with your kid’s revision and hope you manage to assist them in getting the grades they require. See you back here soon for some more informative and useful posts!

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This is natural, and although there are a number of variations on how people in general learn, there are three main differing categories: auditory learners, visual learners and kinaesthetic, otherwise known as tactile learners. What this means is that different people have different ways of processing information, and their minds are wired to better understand lessons that are taught a certain way.

Unfortunately with a classroom of 30 children there may be some discrepancies, so it is impossible for one teacher to tailor their entire lesson schedule to suit the different individuals’ learning styles. However as a parent you can always help your child to learn outside of class and by getting a fair knowledge of their individual learning type you can certainly make it easier for them to come to terms with the lessons covered in class. Auditory Learners

Auditory learners basically learn through listening. They depend on speaking and hearing information and find it far easier when instructions are pronounced than if they were written down. In some classrooms this is beneficial as a teacher will often say their lesson out loud to the class. However in other classrooms where the teacher relies on children taking notes in order to grasp the concept of the lesson, auditory learners may suffer because of a lack of speech in the lesson.

Auditory learners tend to talk about their feelings and their problems, and when coming across a problem, will prefer to talk about how to resolve the problem. Auditory learners have an ear for music and will often recognise or memorise music pieces or songs far more quickly than children who are not auditory learners. Visual Learners

Visual learners learn through observation and through viewing images or video. They find it easier to make sense of images and graphical diagrams when used in conjunction with text on a board or in a textbook as they can properly link the diagram with the informative text.

Visual learners tend to be more interested in images and videos and will often use their eyes to solve problems instead of voicing opinions out loud. They tend not to physically or verbally express themselves but instead can be expressive through their facial expressions.

Kinaesthetic or Tactile Learners

Kinaesthetic learners are practical learners and tend to learn by physically doing things. Generally, kinaesthetic learners have the most trouble focusing and learning in general lessons as their style of learning requires a more hands-on experience. In the younger years, kinaesthetic learners tend to excel ahead of their classmates because of the practical approach to teaching, however in the later years as teaching turns to reciting speeches, reading information and listening to the teacher talk and write on the board, kinaesthetic learners can suffer.

Kinaesthetic learners express themselves through their body language and are generally interested in physical activities. They take quickly to sport and do not enjoy sitting down and reading or simply listening, they always need something to do. They learn well through touch and through both large and small muscle movement, so traditional teaching methods may not be best suited for kinaesthetic learners. Exercises to Determine Your Child’s Learning Style You can give your child a problem and see how he or she decides to solve it, or simply observe your child for a day or two to find out their individual learning style. If you aren’t sure or are not that eager on boxing your child into a single learning style, there are a number of free questionnaires online which could help determine their learning style. Alternatively, if it is seriously affecting you child’s learning process you could always book a session or two with a private teacher and get their feedback on whether or not it is up to their learning style or whether there are other factors that may be affecting your child’s ability to learn. The Importance of Patience Regardless of how your child learns best, it is important to stay patient with him or her as everyone learns in a different way. Every child is an individual and while you may find it easy to understand in theory, in practice it is hard to believe that your son or daughter has difficulty grasping numbers in one way and not in another. Whatever your child’s learning style, it is important to encourage your child to learn and to grow in the way that they best know how.

It may take a little effort on your part to teach them in the style that they find easiest, but in the end it will certainly have a positive effect on their learning and on how they approach learning. Children who find it easier to grasp the solution to problems will be much more eager to learn more and will have an overall more positive outlook on learning and growing in general and this makes a significant difference when it comes to the child starting formal schooling.

By planting the seeds of engaging and exciting learning into your child by using their learning style as an advantage as opposed to an obstacle, you are on the track to giving your child better opportunities, particularly when it comes to starting school and applying the things they have learnt to the real world.

As a mother of a child at nursery with another on the way, Daphne Pointers is passionate about education and works as a classroom assistant. She writes about this and SEN teaching topics for Moon Hall College, a specialist dyslexia school located in Surrey.

Distance learning is becoming a popular pathway to higher education for those who want to upgrade themselves. More people nowadays are choosing distance learning to further their education. However, although many people managed to enroll in the course they want, some of them failed to succeed in their study. Among this group, there are some who failed the course, while others opted out of the course without completing it. This shows that distance learning courses are not easy. In fact, these courses may be more demanding than the on-campus courses. Hence, before you decide to embark on one of the distance learning courses, it is best that you familiarize yourself with the factors required for successful study of such a course. Here are some essential tips for you to consider.

- You need to have a strong desire to do the course. This desire should be backed by a strong reason to do the course. It would help you to persevere in the face of difficulties which may arise in the midst of the course.

- As much of the study is done on your own, you need to be self-disciplined and committed to do your best to complete the course.

- You should be comfortable with independence and will not miss the company of other students in a classroom.

- Distance learning course providers make the learning process more student-centered. Hence, the effectiveness of the program depends a lot on the effort of the students themselves. As such, you must be actively involved in the learning process. You must be willing to respond and participate in the course activities. You also need to interact with the course instructor as well as other students. This will enable you to learn from them through exchange of ideas.

- You need to be well-organized and able to manage yourself. Although distance learning gives you more freedom, you still need to make time for learning. How much you learn depends a lot on your own effort. Good time management and prioritization is important.

- You need to ask for assistance whenever you need it. You should not find it difficult to approach your course instructor or course coordinator for help.

- You must have a satisfactory standard in writing skills. All distance learning programs definitely have written components. It is also important that you are able to read competently as well, as all instructions are written.

- You need to possess adequate computer and technical skills to be able to assess your course and liaise with your instructor and other students online.

- You should not expect the course to be easier than an on-campus course. Distance learning courses can be more demanding than on-campus courses.

Some people have the thought that distance learning is faster, cheaper and easier than the traditional classroom courses. These are not totally true. Hence, it is better to find out more about distance learning courses and your suitability for such courses before you embark on any one of them. If you want to find out whether you are suitable to take up a distance learning online course, you can try the self profile tests which some online schools provide for this purpose. Distance learning can give you a positive and rewarding experience. You just need to be prepared for the challenges ahead.

More information can be found at : Information on Distant Learning.

Freelance writer on various interest topics. For more information on distant learning and how to get your qualification for a better future, please visithttp://www.internetbizcenter.com/onlineshopping/education.htm

Consider these facts. People who do not have a further qualification are more likely to be unemployed. That's not surprising since many jobs these days require that you've graduated high school. By exploring continuing education opportunities and receiving your diploma or passing the GED, you'll not only make more money, you also will have more job opportunities.

So where should you start? Well, if you're only a few classes short of graduating, you can take these classes to make up for what you missed. Many cities and school districts offer continuing education classes that can help you make up missed classes in no time. Start by ringing or emailing the high school you attended. Get a copy of your transcript and find out what you need to do in order to obtain your diploma.

Another option used by many people is the GED. The GED, which stands for General Educational Development, is a five-part test administered to prove that you have high-school level academic skills. The tests include Social Studies, Writing, Reading, Mathematics, and Science. When many people think of continuing education, they think of the GED. For this reason, you can find a lot of the resources to help you pass this test.

To prepare for the GED, you can take preparation classes, either online or in person. You also can take telecourses, courses by mail, or use preparation books and videos. The GED has one of the more diverse continuing education programmes, with many options available in most major cities.

If you want to go beyond high school and are looking to find out more about continuing education options, some colleges offer programs where you can finish high school while at the same time taking some college classes. Many community colleges offer these programs. Contact your local campus and find out what the requirements are.

When it comes to continuing education choices, you need to decide what works the best for you. What can you fit into your schedule? How best do you learn? You don't want to get disaffected and give up. Many people find it difficult to master some of the material necessary to pass the GED. You many find it is easier to learn this material if you take a traditional style face-to-face class with an instructor. Not only will you be able to ask questions, but many people find it is easier to learn when they are surrounded by other students.

The principal point of continuing education is to help you have a better, more fulfilled life. To do that, you need to make a commitment to yourself and your future. The opportunities are there. You just need to make up your mind to go after your dream.

Chris Rudolph is a blogger working in the health and social care industry. Find out more about health & social care qualifications at his health and social care NVQ blog.

You may be considering the opportunity of earning an MBA degree online but wonder whether it will be as prestigious as degrees earned through traditional colleges and universities. Going back to school for your MBA can be very expensive and you certainly do not want to spend money on a degree that will not be looked upon with respect. You want to find an online learning institution that will not only enable you to earn your MBA but also has a good reputation.

Many people who have decided to go back to school lately have been earning their degrees online. No longer are correspondence courses the redheaded stepchild as employers are forced to acknowledge these degrees. It is especially important to note that most people who pursue a post graduate degree do so in their off time from work. An online education makes sense in more ways than one, especially when it comes to earning an MBA.

Make sure that the institution that you attend online is an accredited university with a stellar reputation in the work place. There are some that will hand out a degree for the right price. Those are the institutions that you want to avoid. Look for an accredited online education institution that will allow you to earn an MBA that will be looked upon with respect by the workplace.

Many of the MBA programs online have classes that are very similar to traditional classroom settings. They give you an opportunity to listen to lectures online as well as interact with other students. The only difference is that you are doing this from the comfort of your own home, instead of a classroom setting.

You can use e-mails, video conference and other technology to interact with the class. You will also be required to do a residency when you are earning your MBA online, just as you would be required in a traditional setting.

The convenience of earning an MBA degree online still requires hard work and dedication similar to a traditional classroom oriented programs. The benefit is the ability to fit studies into a busy lifestyle while continuing employment and attending daily responsibilities. An online degree may take less time to complete than a traditional program due to the ability and options available, which will enable you to work at your own learning pace from the comfort of your own home.

Before choosing an online institution that offers the degree of choice, know the reputation and accreditation status of that institution. This will ensure that the degree you earn, and pay for, will make it possible for advancement in the workforce.

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If you are interested in a better career or in going further in your current field, continuing education may be for you. Continuing education programs offer students a chance to learn industry-specific or job-specific skills.

Unlike traditional academic programs, these programs are not usually pushing students towards a degree. Instead, students may earn credits or a certificate at the end of their program, not to mention a lot of job-boosting skills and information. If you are lucky enough to live near a great college or university, you may be able to qualify for their programs. If you do not, you can still get all the benefits of this type of education by pursuing online continuing education programs.

Online continuing education programs can actually be less expensive, more convenient, and higher quality than their in-classroom counterparts. Students who pursue their education through the Internet often do not have to pay extra tuition costs for using school buildings and they do not have to pay for commutes or parking at their school.

All you need to pursue your education is a computer and Internet connection, something that most homes have anyway. Pursuing higher education online can allow you to study and complete assignments on your own time. There is no need for you to rearrange your own schedule in order to rush to class. This is great news for anyone who is pursuing a career or juggling a family life with education. Online studying can be done any time you have some time to spare. Finally, by pursuing online continuing education programs, you can choose the best, no matter where you live.

If you want to pursue programs at your local university or college, you may be stuck with whatever programs they offer. Once you go online, though, you can find programs and education options for every field. You can pick and choose from literally thousands of programs to find the exact right match for you. If you are looking for work or want a promotion, pursuing an online continuing education program is a great option. It shows your employers or potential employers that you are serious about learning in your field and serious about your career. In fact, education makes employees stronger, so much so that many employers are willing to help their workers pay for education programs.

Online continuing education programs are also a great way to learn skills that can help you in your current job. If you love your job, you can learn how to do it more effectively or how to take on new responsibilities. Of course, your desire to pursue more skills makes you an excellent candidate for a raise or new job. Once your employer sees that you are learning new skills, you become a more valuable worker. You may be able to earn more for your time or you may be offered exciting new employment opportunities. If you are hoping to switch careers or are looking for a job, an online continuing education program can help you get the job you want.

Your schooling can get you the skills you need to land a job in a new field. And don't overlook your teachers and professors online. Many of them are already in the field and may be willing to offer you advice or give you a recommendation letter to use in your job hunt. It certainly does not hurt to ask. An education looks great on your resume, especially if you are currently looking for work. Pursuing a program prevents that embarrassing gap in your resume and instead gives you something that can attract potential employers.

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