Things you should know about online learning

Many students sign up for online classes under the premise that they can complete courses at their own pace, they can remain anonymous because they aren’t required to participate, and that online classes are easier than taking classes on campus.

These things are rarely true in an online learning environment.

Although online classes allow for you to dictate your own schedule, it’s not usually in the way people expect.  Most online courses still follow the regular semester calendar.  Your assignments still have due dates and there are assigned times to take tests and participate in group discussions.  Some classes even have attendance policies where students are required to log a number of hours online as part of their grade.  The biggest benefit of online classes is that the time of day you log on to complete your course work is up to you, if you have a full time job and can only log on in the evening you’re capable of doing that but, you are still required to follow a course schedule which allows the class to move cohesively at the same pace through the course material.

Another common misconception among students is the belief that in an online learning environment they won’t be required to interact with other students and professors.  Truth is, the majority of online classes offer discussion forums with both the instructors as well as other students.  In some cases these interactive components are necessary and participation in them is used to calculate a student’s grade.  Students can gain a lot from online discussion as well. Large lectures often don’t allow for intense discussion simply because of class sizes.  An online forum, on the other hand, permits students to contribute when they are available and also gives introverted students the ability to participate in a non-threatening environment.

The biggest myth about online classes is that they are easier to complete than traditional on campus courses.  This one is probably the most important thing to remember.  Online classes can be extremely demanding.  In order to complete them successfully students have to be determined, disciplined and self motivated.  It’s easy to procrastinate when you don’t have a class to attend and the daily demands of working, a social life or parenting seem more important.  It’s critical that online students be prepared for a heavy workload filled with reading and are capable of managing their time efficiently.

No matter which learning style you prefer online or on campus, the life of a student is hectic at times.  Choose an environment that best suits your learning style and pick classes you enjoy or that interest you until you get into a productive routine.  The transition can be hard but, it’s definitely worth it!

How to Understand an Intimidating Research Article

While you are attending college to get one of the best careers, you will need to do research at some point. After successfully finding a few articles on your topic, reading through them seems like a daunting task. It can be intimidating to read through a long, complicated article. Here are some tips to get you through reading these research reports.

A scientific research report has but one purpose, to communicate to others the results of their scientific investigation.  To this there is a standard format that has been developed to utilize effective communication. There are 6 key components:

Headings
This contains the information you will need to cite your source, including the title, name of author(s), any institutional affiliations. Also the title will clue you into the article's object.

Abstract
This will help to set the stage and provide you with a brief overview. It is a condensed version of the article that will briefly provide the statement of the problem, methods used, major results of the study, and their conclusions.

Introduction
The introduction will provide the thesis which will sum up the entire article into one or two sentences, found in the first or second paragraph. If the article is a literature review, it will follow similar to a funnel, broad and wide at the start, and gradually become more narrow. Also the author should briefly provide rationale for the study, then tell you quickly how they did the study. Lastly should be the results, if the hypothesis they tested was correct or if they had unexpected findings. I suggest highlighting the thesis and labeling it if possible on your copy.

Method
After the author has given you the introduction, they will get into the nuts and bolts. They should explain in this section the detailed information in how they set up the study, including describing participants. Following should be procedures used described in detail. Highlight and/or underline what you feel is the key points of the details.

Results
This is where all of the author's hard work ends up. Usually there will be statistical information, complicated charts and graphs that the author has worked very hard to complete. Their vast knowledge is difficult to convey sometimes into a language that the average student can understand. Try to break it down into parts. Underline and label the important key details you find interesting to your research topic.

Discussion
Evaluation and interpretation is the key basis for this part of the article, to conclude the work done. They will let you know if their hypothesis was supported, they may alert you to any further research that may need to be done. Finally they will conclude, restating quickly and efficiently what they have found. Again you should underline or highlight and label the key parts.

After you are finished reading through the article, GO TELL SOMEONE! It will stick in your mind easier if you can tell someone about the article, what the author did and discovered. A professor suggested this to me last year and it really does help me retain information better. 

Sick and Far Away from Home

My  first time to be away from home was during my university days. For four years, I lived in a ladies’ dormitory within the university campus. I grew up in the lowlands and when I moved to the mountains, my system adapted the colder climate. As a student and an intern, I did all my chores. After school, among many other tasks, I did my laundry, I cooked my own food, grocery shopped, and others. I got tired and exhausted and sometimes, I got sick. Since there were twenty four of us  (interns) in one room, there was a great chance that I might pass my colds and flu to my roommates.
Here are a few tips to stay healthy and avoid getting sick with the changes in temperature:   Keep Yourself Hydrated Drink lots of water. Not soda, not even iced tea and definitely no alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic beverages are diuretic in nature that makes you pee, not a liquid laxative. This can drain your body of vital fluids.
Visit your University Physician Do this the moment you don't feel well. Have your university physician or medical assistant check on what you have and what medications are needed to get rid of it. Do not go after a couple of days, for you may have struck infections by then. And that means, you will miss your classes while you wait for the medicines to kick in.
	Email your Professor Should You Need to Miss your Class Secure for a medical certificate from your university physician, scan it and email it to your professors. Tell them that you will miss your classes. This will give your professors the impression that you care about being in their class.
Take Your Daily Cs and Other Supplements Aside from hydrating yourself by drinking water, it is also important that you take your daily vitamins and supplements. If you suspect or you feel you have a fever, take paracetamol.  If however, your system is too weak to battle the virus, visit your physician immediately. If he gives you some medicines to take, make sure that you complete the entire dose. It is possible that an infection could recur because you did not finish the dose. One thing worse than being sick is being sick AGAIN. Take the Needed Rest How well can you study for a test when you are sick? If you feel that you are under the weather, get some rest. People who take off when they are not feeling well live longer than those who don’t.
Eating Right Eating right is the key. But if you live in a dormitory like I used to, this is really difficult   to do. For the fact that we don’t have a full kitchen and a stove in our room, microwaving our food won’t give any healthy options. Even the foods served in the university’s cafeteria are not much better. The best thing you can do is get some fruits and stuff like that and store in your personal fridge. The minerals and vitamins will help you feel better.
A final tip to stay healthy is to practice prevention. Don't wait until you get sick and search for a cure. Do the things listed above. Practice prevention. Remember, an ounce of prevention is better than cure.

Prepared By: Liezel Magno Castro

Reduce College Stress: Top 3 Ways to Organize

One of the best ways to reduce college stress is to get organized. Even in the middle of the semester of college classes it’s not too late! Here is the top 3 methods that have worked best for me. 

1. I have found the best way for me is to get a binder with a clear pocket on the front, where I place the class schedule, with exam dates highlighted. Inside the binder I have tabbed dividers where I have everything organized by the class. In the front is blank notebook paper with a 3 hole punch. Following is my course syllabus and assignment sheets, lecture notes and power points, research articles for my final papers, and course work. I have 2 courses in this binder that fall on the same day. Most of this can be recycled semester after semester, just changing out the course materials. Saving money helps reduce my stress too. 

2. I utilize a dry erase board. I found the best way to keep up with all of the homework and things coming up soon is to write it down in a place I visit frequently, the fridge. I have my board divided into 4 courses, and a blank spot for work/personal things. I placed clear tape over the dividing lines so it won't erase easily, alone with over the course titles. As things are coming up I add them to the board. It feels relieving to erase the things I have accomplished. At the end of the semester, I can peel it off and start again for the next semester, saving money.

 

3. Keep supplies close! Everyone needs pens and pencils. I prefer a cosmetics bag as it is smaller than the typical pencil pouches, and I like the clear plastic. I like being able to quickly see what I am reaching for instead of digging and making noise in a quite classroom during lecture. Inside my pencil case is a host of supplies for school, including some pens of different colors, mechanical pencils, highlighters, a spare flash drive, paper clips, and sticky notes for marking pages or chapters in text books.

 

Learning a Second Language: How Significant it is to Be a Bi-Lingual

A lot of people will say: “I don’t need to learn another language, I am already an English native speaker” or “I don’t like to learn a different Language because I have my own Language”. Well, not me. 

If you look at the job boards nowadays, most of the job requirements will say: “Must be Bi-Lingual” or “Preferably Bi-Lingual”. So, if you are job hunting, learning a second language is a must. It will give you more opportunities to land on a job you are applying for. And sometimes, having a resume on a second language is a requirement for a global market. When you know their language, it shows your potentials as an aspiring job candidate to learn and grasp comprehensive information systems. You will be captivating in the eyes of the Human Resource Manager. You will be seen as a prospective talent for their company.

If you are a traveler, you will be able to order from the menus in the restaurant, follow the street signs, and people in that place will be able to help you easily because they understand what you are saying. And by trying to learn their language is showing respect to their culture.

If you want to grow your business, you will close more deals when you speak the language of your prospective client. The ability to communicate with their language boosts the quality of relationship you are building. It is definitely a valuable asset in business. See now how important it is to be bi-lingual?

It would be difficult of course to explore a language of a culture which is not your own. But being open minded and your willingness to learn will make it easier. When you learn a second language, it will take you out of your accustomed mindset and expose you to a totally different group of people’s customs. The way you see the world expands beyond your old thinking and your understanding on how they think will also be different. 

There is no such easy thing to do in this world. You need to go through that difficult process but it’s worth it. Just by having a list of new vocabulary words makes it feel good. It’s like exercising your muscles. When you’re active, your brain will have a better memory, organization, and expression. When you express yourself in a different language, it helps you improve yourself expression in your native tongue automatically too. 

Now, you may be asking yourself: “How can I learn a second language and where?” Well, it’s so easy because we have different resources now on how to learn a second language and become a fluent speaker in a new language. Pick what is best for you.

Campus Learning

You can check community colleges, universities, and some private institutions that are offering a second language course. The range of selections varies depending on the size of the school. Of course, you will be charged for classes and materials. Learning a second language is very in demand nowadays which made this field a growing industry.

Online Learning

The internet offers a lot of online tutorials or best online schools to learn a second language. It’s very convenient because with the innovative technologies you can learn through videos language lessons, white boards, and even chats that will give guide you on your pronunciation. The native speakers and fellow students will give you feedback to help you improve your speaking. Youtube videos, podcasts, and online messaging are tools that you and the teacher can use to facilitate connections and contact. With these resources, it will allow you (the online student) to learn at your own pace without pressure. And when you’re good at researching, you can find a free online school for your second language learning adventure.

Moving to the Country

This is what they call immersion. When you move to the country where you want to learn their language, you will absorb their language easily as well as their way of living. In the beginning, you may feel awkward and scared but when you’re persistent and attentive, the sounds and the meanings of their language will enter your mind and become internalized. What you learn stays longer. It’s compared to an athlete’s muscle memory.

You can also buy a dictionary to look up foreign words that you may encounter on your learning. So, what method of learning will you choose? The decision is up to you. Just bear in mind that you are doing it to make your life better and it is fun! It’s not too late to educate yourself. I found myself interested in the online learning since it’s free. I think Spanish is worth learning. How about you? What second language do you think you want to learn?

By: Ritchell Thibodeaux