Distance Learning

Any home study degree is as acceptable by future employers as any a student might receive by actually attending courses on a college or university campus. Many institutions offer web sites to help a prospective student decide which program to undergo and learn the specific prerequisites for enrolling. Undergraduate degrees, certificates, and advanced degrees are offered by colleges all over the United States, as are objectives in fields such as the fine arts, liberal arts, humanities, design, writing, or communication. If a prospective student is a technology buff, he can find courses in web design, computer science, networks, or technology management, and business programs are available for secretarial science, finance, banking, and accounting through home study degrees.Graduates in these areas--health, medicine, nursing, psychology, counseling, health administration, and human services--are very much in demand today because our aging population is requiring more health.
An undergraduate can begin planning his coursework to his goal and at the same time, check out the availability for even higher education such as a master's and a doctorate. One advantage of using home study degrees is that even if a person does not live near a higher learning institution, he can find what he needs through the Internet. Associate degrees are also available for the student who has a computer and desires to complete his education at home. It doesn't require a four-year program to be a paralegal or a medical technician, and many sites offer certificates in many career fields. Some students may wish to earn a certificate or an associate degree, find a job in the chosen field, and then work in that field while continuing on to complete a bachelor's, master's, and doctorate.

A home study degree is perfect for the student who is currently in the military or has a job that limits the times he can attend classes because the course work is done at home at any time of the day on the Internet. Home study degrees free students to lead a life outside of academia while earning degrees that will further their careers. Finding a career that suits a person's needs, both economically and emotionally, is now possible with the huge number of opportunities being offered by colleges and universities online. No longer is a person stuck in one position because of his situation. View the sites online for all the choices while considering your own talents, then choose a home study degree program that excites your interest, and the future is yours. God encourages us to gain knowledge.

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Blogs Interfere With Online Stores?

One of my newsletter subscribers recently sent me a copy of blogging advise someone had given her. She has an online store and has started blogging but would like to make her blog more effective. Being unsure, what to do she came to me for a second opinion. Here’s some bits of what she was told. There are other bits of pro arguments too and overall pretty balanced but I would like to highlight two points that jumped up.

• if the blog is on your site, it takes up database space — which slows down your shopping cart. No biggie for a person who isn’t selling stuff — but, as you know, time is a huge factor in online shopping and if it takes too long for pages to load are carts to get products into them, you lose your audience really fast

• with your site hosted by someone else, you also get the benefits of their blogroll — meaning the links to other blogs that you and others put on your sites….others can easily blogroll you to give you those coveted return-links

Here’s what I think:
Database speed is a valid concern of course but a good web host will be able to handle multiple database queries at once without a hitch. Many a times if you look at the execution time of the scripts, including shopping carts, many of them are done in 10ths or 100’s of a second. It’s not something an average shopper will notice.

Despite it all, a blog is usually pretty lean and run with minimal of resources. Out of the many blogs I’ve helped people set up, I have not encountered a problem with this and one of the sites I run is a hosted shopping cart. If your database or script is slow, it’s more likely something you’d take up with your host. That said, to optimize things, it’s always better to have the shopping cart on one database and any other scripts like a blog on another database. This cuts down the queries on one database. Alternatively, you can always use Blogger to publish your blog to your site. Blogger does not use any database but rather builds regular HTML pages and copies it over to your site.

The biggest reason you want the blog on your site is because you will be building traffic for your site. If you build a blog on blogstream, blogspot or any place where you don’t own the domain, you’re building traffic for other people’s site, not yours. If that company decides not to offer that service anymore or you outgrow it, you’ll lose all that hard earned traffic immediately.

That same rule applies to link backs you have built. The links people use to link back to you doesn’t belong to you if you don’t own the domain. Besides, you can build a blogroll on a blog that’s hosted on your site. The key thing here is building for long term. When we’re in business, we’re in it for the long term, so why build a blog for the short term?

If you’re hoping to get traffic from a network of blogs who are using the same blogging system, you need to consider, how valuable that kind of traffic is. I would rather have 100 people who are really interested in my niche, who I have a better chance to convert into a lead or customer than 1000 people who are just blog hopping. Wouldn’t you?

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Market to Moms

An Easy Way to Tap into a Multi-Billion Dollar Market

Did you know that there is a multi-billion dollar market out there that most online marketers either miss or ignore? No, it's not some obscure online trading type of market, but a HUGE part of the population that you can and should market to - Moms.

Here's a few statistics to show how women (a large portion of which are moms) dominate the consumer market:

• Women control 80% of household spending.

• Women do 60% of online shopping.

• Women buy 81% of all products and services.

(source : United States Census Bureau).


According to a recent survey conducted by Marketing Sherpa, mothers spend 13.2 hours per week versus 7.6 hours watching TV. The same survey stated that moms come to the Internet for information and the way to tap into this huge market is by providing the information they're looking for.

Can you really afford to miss taking a slice of the pie on this huge shopping force? Not likely when the fact of the matter is...

Moms Control the Purse-Strings

Typically, it's mom that sets the family budget and does most of the shopping. Just think about it...who buys groceries, school supplies and clothing for the family? Who picks the new dining room furniture? In the past, men traditionally controlled big purchases like cars or electronics - but these purchases are highly influenced by and final decisions are often made by the mothers of the household.

If you are not selling to women, and moms in particular, you are missing out on a huge section of the online shopping market.

So, how are you going to tap into this lucrative market? We have both been marketing to moms for years and we've discovered that one of the best ways to earn Mom's trust and get her to buy is with good, solid information and website content - just as noted in the recent Marketing Sherpa survey.

Find out what problems Moms have and offer a solution, along with a product recommendation to either one of your own products or an affiliate product and some Google Adsense ads. If moms trust the information they're receiving, they buy...it's as simple as that because...

Content is One of Your Best Tools to Generate Leads & Interest
in Your Products
Even as early as 1996, Bill Gates was telling people where money would be made on the Internet...
And even 10 years later, smart and successful marketers still agree..

It's easy enough to say that you could (and should) sit down and write several articles each week - but writing content is extremely time-consuming and there are only so many hours in any given day.

Another option would be to use reprint articles that you can find in some of the major article banks like ezinearticles.com. While you can find all the articles you could ever need and article banks are a great resource, you will have to include the author's resource box when you publish the article.

Why is that a problem?

You are driving traffic away from your site to theirs, since you have to include the author's resource box. Please, don't leak all your traffic like that! Put your own affiliate links, promos for your own products or Adsense ads there instead.

So, perhaps you could hire a ghostwriter and pay anywhere from $10 to $100 or more for just ONE well-written article.

Or you could...

Have Instant Access Great Content with Minimal Expense

How much faster and easier do you think you could tap into this market, if you had top quality content delivered to your inbox each month?

Yes, we're talking about Private Label Rights (PLR) content. You have probably come across several sites that offer private label content memberships. Maybe you have even given a few of them a try ...and were disappointed in the quality of the articles and ebooks you received.

We've been there. Between the two of us, we've tried out plenty of private label programs out there and have spent dozens of hours rewriting articles before we got them to a point where we felt comfortable using them. It would have been just as fast to write them ourselves..

You shouldn't have to

• Correct numerous spelling and grammatical errors.

• Rewrite paragraphs or entire articles because the language doesn't make sense.

• Scrap entire articles or end up with one usable paragraph.

• Waste precious time rewording and rewriting articles you are paying good money for.

(taken from http://www.allmomcontent.com/)
read more on the site..

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Experience is The Great Teacher

Students gain knowledge and skills through campus group involvement

Does your daughter enjoy bocce ball, horseshoes, or beanbags? The Lawn Sports Club is for her. Or perhaps creating and spreading silliness is your son’s way of life. Then it’s The Loose Association of Very Silly People for him. Or maybe a vigorous ride on two wheels over Iowa’s countryside is more your student’s speed? Encourage him or her to join the Cycling Club.

And, if none of these groups fits the bill, there are more than 400 other organizations at the University for students to investigate and potentially join.

Michael Brafford, a sophomore from Johnston, Iowa, majoring in secondary education and English, took a ballroom dancing course at the University and discovered his love of swing dancing. He revived the Swing Dance Club in January.

“Swing dancing gives us an outlet to escape from school, lighten up, and boogie down,” says Brafford. “We let go of our academic identities for a few hours and let loose with fellow rug cutters.”

The club, comprised of students and nonstudents, meets for lessons on Monday nights at the Field House.

“As a secondary education major, teaching swing dance to the club’s members has helped me understand how I can be a better teacher after I graduate,” says Brafford. “I have learned to communicate more clearly and have figured out what I need to say to get members to understand. I’ve realized that not all people learn in the same way.”

Some students credit their success at the University—and eventually in their career—to experiences and skills gained through involvement in a student group.

Kelly Soukup, an assistant director in the Office of Student Life (OSL), says students learn professional skills that are not taught in the classroom through their group activities.

“Club participation helps to prepare students in a practical sense for the job market,” Soukup says. “Their involvement often comes up during job interviews.”

Membership in cocurricular organizations and clubs also can help students to develop a sense of community and establish a real connection with other students at the University.

Brafford agrees. “Involvement in student organizations is a great way to meet others, stay active, and find yourself.”

Whatever a student’s interest or aim, the breadth of organizations at Iowa is tremendous.

Many organizations are solely focused on academic interests—for example, the Actuarial Science Club, or Students in Design for graphic designers. There are cultural, humanitarian, religious, and philosophical groups, including the African Student Association, Students Against Sweatshops, the Campus Christian Fellowship, and I-RENEW—a group that promotes the use of renewable energy and the practice of sustainable living. Athletic organizations always are popular among students. Individuals with interests in badminton, bass fishing, running, and Ultimate Frisbee can find a place to spend their free time.

Michael R. Schmidt, a senior political science major from Clive, Iowa, joined the University chapter of Habitat for Humanity, one of several groups on campus that reach out to the community.

“Getting involved in a student organization is an excellent way to take a leadership role and interact with peers. It enriches your learning experience by extending it beyond academics,” Schmidt says.

The Habitat for Humanity chapter, which has nearly 200 student members, schedules a variety of activities throughout the year, the most well-known being home building for low-income families. The organization is affiliated with the Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity, which serves Johnson, Cedar, and Iowa counties, and together they began constructing a home on Iowa City’s north side in October. Students worked diligently alongside the home’s future owners, connecting pieces of precut wood to create the skeleton of the three-bedroom, one-bath home.

“I believe deeply in the mission,” says Schmidt. “Any support, encouragement, or growth that I can provide to the program is rewarding. The local affiliate has done a wonderful job finding diverse families in need, and showing that to students can help to instill a lifelong commitment to service.”

Schmidt says he joined the campus chapter after he became a member of the Iowa Valley affiliate. At the time, very few students were involved and he didn’t know if there was student interest to support a chapter. When he found out one had started, he thought joining it would be the best way to encourage involvement by other students.

“It’s been so much fun and such a wonderful time,” says Schmidt. “I’ve met people I wouldn’t have otherwise met. I’ll be disappointed to leave the group when I graduate.”

Student organizations have been on the Iowa campus for more than 150 years. Many groups, such as those listed below, clearly contribute to the University’s reputation of excellence, while at the same time building campus spirit and pride. Homecoming Week events, the Bijou Theater, and Dance Marathon—an annual fund-raiser in its 12th year that has raised more than $4 million for the Children’s Miracle Network—all are student-run organizations. These groups, along with others on a long list, play a significant role in campus life and add to the overall student experience.

Bill Nelson, director of OSL, says, “Students join organizations for a variety of reasons—perhaps they have an academic interest, or it’s an opportunity to meet friends and build relationships.”

If students have interests that are not represented by a group already established on campus, they can start their own.

“All they need are five like-minded, interested individuals who are willing to abide by University policies and procedures,” says Nelson.

OSL staff members support or serve as a contact for each student organization. They offer assistance with program planning, budget review, event evaluation, and development of organizational and leadership skills. Each campus organization receives funding from UI Student Government.

“The neat part is that students get the opportunity to run a small company, improve their management skills, and learn how to work within a budget,” Nelson says.

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Experience is The Great Teacher

The inscription over the Temple of New Science Religion reads:

"Everything is composed of a subatomic flux of wavelets and particles, chaos and pattern. Boundaries are fluid. Possibilities are endless. Unrelated separateness is an illusion. Interconnectedness is reality. Process is all. Revise your perceptions, concepts and life accordingly. Any questions?"

I have one. How can I relate this new vision to my life? I understand the inscription to be the slogan of what is termed "postmodern" thinking. The modern age began with Copernicus, when we won our freedom from the Church to think and make inquiry but lost our illusion of living in the center of the universe. Modern became postmodern with the advent of atomic energy. Quantum mechanics brought the realization that atoms are but constructs of the mind and that all "things" are but temporary patternings of energy interacting with particular perspectives in consciousness. The insight cost us the comforting illusion that there exists an objective reality composed of solid, separate things and stole from us our firm, if illusory foundation for finding meaning in life. Atomic energy also gave us profound respect for the high cost of "value-free" technology. Welcome to the postmodern world.

I can try to go with the flow, but find it stressful rather than relaxing much of the time. I'm suspicious of trusting in the unfolding of consciousness within creation. I'm not always willing or able to accept my appointment as a volunteer co-creator of the universe. They may be the new realities but they tax my ability to actually experience life in this manner.

I know I'm not alone. Einstein himself recoiled at the implications of his theories. He took comfort in believing that his hypothetical, paradoxical experiment concerning instantaneous action at a distance could never be proven true in practice. Fortunately for him, it wasn't proven until after he died, when the supposedly impossible demonstrated its existence. If Einstein couldn't live in the world he discovered, how are we ordinary folks to do so? How can I make the quantum leap between the new vision of reality and how I actually experience my life? That's my question.

Someone who has anticipated my predicament offers a rather intriguing prescription: Back to basics! That's how I read the directive spelled out in Charlene Spretnak's latest book, States of Grace: The Recovery of Meaning in the Postmodern Age (Harper Collins). An independent scholar who has written extensively in the field of feminism, spirituality and ecology, Spretnak appreciates the mystic vision of postmodern science. "When we experience consciousness of the unity in which we are embedded," she writes, "the sacred whole that is in and around us, we exist in a state of grace." To receive this grace, to actually have this experience and not just to think about it, Spretnak believes we need to participate in the sacraments taught by the wisdom traditions. She's not referring to the institutions and "isms" that promote debate and wars, but the practical handles on living spiritually that the founders of these traditions taught. They can provide a way to bridge the gap between knowledge and experience.

Ms. Spretnak is concerned that our bodies, our minds, our sensibilities and our interpersonal skills are insufficiently prepared to live in the postmodern world. We need an appreciation for paradox, a taste for myth, a sensitivity to invisible energies, as well as experiences in cooperation and sharing, all things we've had trained out of us by our modern schooling and rationalistic culture. Without these sorts of experiential skills we can marvel at the postmodern vision, but we are left helpless to apply it in our lives, just where we need it most if we are to avert the disasters the modern world has bequeathed us.

Spretnak chooses four wisdom areas for discussion. She turns to Buddhism to learn how the mind can overcome its penchant for creating suffering. Meditation breaks the mind's conditioned reflexes of fear and anger and prepares a place for peace to appear that's beyond mental understanding. For practices that help develop a felt sense of connection with the earth and the natural world, she turns to Native American spirituality. There she finds "green and juicy" spiritual practices that help people experience the earth as a sentient being with whom we can establish a living relationship. To experience the body in healthy relationship to life she turns to Goddess spirituality where she finds as an alternative to a preoccupation with death meaningful rituals celebrating the endless cycles of creative rebirths. For social ethics as an expression of divine oneness, she turns to the Semitic traditions (Judaism, Islam and Christianity) where rituals of communion create a feeling for community that extends beyond, when institutionalism doesn't interfere, the boundaries of one's own social neighborhood. In each case, the spiritual practices of each wisdom tradition instructs and connects the consciousness of the practitioner with a unitive world beyond the reach of the senses and intellect.

I find evidence in my own work that validates Spratnak's reminder that when it comes to self-transcendence, experience is a better teacher than theory. When my students first approach the development of psychic sensitivity they are fluent in the theory of the oneness of mind, but nevertheless operate in a world of separate minds. Thus they assume I'll be teaching them how to "read minds," or how to peer, untouched and unnoticed, into the secret thoughts of others. What they actually learn instead is how to experience being the other person, something actually felt in the body which becomes a channel of psychic information. It does require learning to respect the objective aspects of subjective experience and to use "pretending" to make valid discoveries, both apparent paradoxes to modern (but not postmodern) thought. It also creates an intimacy usually avoided in our culture, requiring new forms of social interaction. Rather than learning to play parlor games the participants learn vulnerability to compassion and want to become a healing influence on others. It's one thing to affirm that we are our brothers' keeper, but another to actually experience, through psychic perception, our interelatedness. It cuts through the rationalizations and equivocations. Experience is the great teacher.

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