Having a college degree usually comes with a bit of prestige. The higher you go, the higher your value is in the job market right? Well, that answer really hinges on your degree focus.

[Learn more about online degrees in Information Technology.]

Those that chose degree programs set on a management track have a higher hiring potential, and a matching salary. Students that chose to study liberal arts still have a chance of landing a well paying job, but they’re in a minority. Even being a liberal arts major with a prestigious Ivy League education doesn’t guarantee a fat paycheck. Those in computer sciences, engineering, medicine and finance have higher earnings potential.

Interested to see what your degree is worth? Check out this great post by Reuters columnis Lauren Young, “What’s the value of a college degree?”

By J. Mason

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One of the most important parts of the enrollment process is figuring out your finances for school. Do you plan on paying out of pocket, applying for financial aid, or getting a loan? If you know the answer is a loan, then it’s a great idea to be educated on the types of direct loans available, and what you qualify for.

Understanding how the payment deferments work, as well as what the grace period is with the loan. The grace period is an allotted amount of time during which you are not expected to make payments on your student loans after leaving school, or dropping below half-time status.

What are the different direct loan types?

Direct Subsidized Loans: Great for half-time students with financial need.

• No interest is charged while you are in school at least half-time, during your grace period, and during deferment periods.
• You do not have to make payments while you are attending school at least half-time and during your grace periods.
• You will receive a six month grace period to make payments after you drop below half-time.

Direct Unsubsidized Loans: Good for half-time students not based on financial need. 

• Interest is charged during all periods.
• You do not have to make payments while you are attending school as a half-time student, or during your grace period.
• Interest will continue to be charged while you’re in school.
• You will receive a six month grace period after you drop below half-time.

Direct PLUS Loans: Ideal for parents of dependent undergraduate students who are enrolled at least half-time.

• You can borrow up to the school’s cost of attendance.
• Interest is charged during all periods.
• Direct PLUS Loans do not have a grace period. The repayment begins as soon as the loan is fully disbursed.
• To qualify for this loan you must not have an adverse credit history. A credit check will be required.

Once you know what method best suits you then talk to your financial aid about next steps and starting classes.

By Online Learning Tips Staff

For a good majority of students, english and writing majors excluded, writing is a chore. When it comes to being an online student writing can turn into a full-time job, especially considering it’s the main way virtual students communicate. The reason most folks dislike writing is because they think they aren’t good at it, not because they can’t do it.

One way to find your place with writing is by discovering your voice. We all have a unique perspective on our interests, and how we relay information is equally as important as how we retain it. Not everyone writes for pleasure, or for academic sport. No matter where you stand you’ll need to explore where you stand as a writer, if anything to improve your results with classwork.

[related: Prepare for the Online Experience With Online Tools]

There are plenty of way to work your writing muscle. Below are just a few you can use to help improve.

1. Free Association Writing — Free writing is a timed activity that is writing as much aspossible in a two- to 10-minute time span. You are encouraged to write down anything. You may get a few good ideas or you may get junk, but at least you are writing and letting your ideas come out freely without anyone judging them as right or wrong. Free writing is used frequently by writers who have a “block” where they cannot think of what to write. Here is where you’ll discover your active voice. Is it commanding, or does it sound more mechanical like you’d find in technical writing. Once you know your voice you can play to your strengths by playing with the formatting of your papers and how you layout information.
2. The Art of Reading — Good readers make good writers. Take time to read a good book, whether it’s one your teacher suggests, a book version of your favorite film, or a book written by your favorite author. Reading enables you to develop your vocabulary and helps to strengthen your stylistic ability to write creatively.
    
3. Journal Writing — Journaling is a form of self-expression that millions take advantage of on a daily basis. Journaling is easy to do and creative as well. What you write could explain anything from what you did that day, to how those events made you feel, to ideas for your future, to venting frustrations about life. In some cases, people rely on journals to help them remember what they did a week ago and even to remember what the state of the world was at the time of the writing. It’s up to you whether you share the ideas or feelings you write down with anyone else.

If you’re still unsure of your abilities seek help from a tutor, or email your instructor. They’ll be able to evaluate what your weaknesses are and ways to improve them.

By J. Mason

Change up your schedule every other week to keep things interesting and fresh for class. While it’s up to your instructor to keep the content and assignments new and engaging, it’s your responsibility to manage your work and interest.

[How to Maximize Your Online Education Experience]

If you’re a list person, write down (or type) everything you do for school on a weekly basis. Look it over, and highlight the times you designate to read, study, research, or respond to discussion posts. While it’s great to lock down times for this, it may turn you into a robot. A simple change would be reading at the library for 2 weeks, and the weeks after that read at home in your office. As for discussion posts, chat with your peers about the assignment once a month for ideas, and then switch to doing it solo or with the help of research with the librarian.

Motivation is something you can control. The issue some students have is they become sedentary in a routine. So, as hard as it may seem to change things around, it’s a good idea to keep the pep in your step.

By J. Mason

Don’t ever “walk” into a test thinking you’re going to fail. Confidence really does play a role in your testing abilities, and could sway the outcome of the exam. As long as you’ve reviewed the material, and asked questions ahead of time you should be confident at some level to answer the questions in front of you.

[How to Survive Your Finals and Midterms]

So, what if you’re not ready? It’s not like your final is the SAT or LSAT, but the grade from your exam may weight heavily on your final grade for the class. It’s a snowball effect, and you don’t want to worry about playing catch up. If you find tests  intimidating and you know you talk yourself out of it before you his start, then try getting a talisman or lucky charm.

Your talisman can be something as simple as a figurine, or a picture of your pet. It’s something that will divert your attention away from what’s making you nervous. Channel your strength into an inanimate object, and make sure to keep it with you for exams as a habit. You’re instilling confidence in yourself. While it may not be a four leaf clover with magic powers, it can help keep you focused and on track.

By J. Mason

There is little we can do to prevent criticism from coming our way-whether it’s in your studies, your personal relationships, or on the job-so you should actually try and turn into a positive experience that will help to shape your the quality of the your work. Being open to criticism allows you to quickly recognize areas of improvement. When you acknowledge that receiving criticism is fundamental in becoming the best student you can be, then you can prepare yourself to deal effectively with it and not become defensive and run from the situation.

Top three things to remember: 

1. Learn to expect criticism
2. Learn to recognize, accept and welcome constructive criticism
3. Never allow criticism-constructive or destructive-to negatively impact your thoughts or performance.

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It may seem counter productive to list out the things you shouldn’t be doing, but really it’s a good way to see your bad habits on paper. This isn’t something you need to do every week, but if you’re hitting a rough spot in your studies then it’s time to re-evaluate where your time is being spent.

[Setting Up Great (and Successful) Study Habits]

If your preference is a virtual list, you can try something like ToodleDo. More than your average to-do list, this tool is something you can take anywhere. You can transfer the list over to your smartphone, calendar, email, and much more.

After you’ve hit your stride again by submitting discussion posts on time, reading all 50 pages assigned that week, and getting into a comfortable groove then archive your list. If those habits start to creep back then it’s time to break out the list and cut out the distractions.

By: J. Mason

As you begin to bury yourself in your major, you’ll note that the content starts getting a little more complex. You don’t need to keep a dictionary by your side, although it wouldn’t be a bad idea, but you should definetly pay attention to words you don’t recognize.

[Define Your Learning Style to Maximize Retention]

Context clues are a great way to figure out a word you’re unfamiliar with. Write down the new word in a small book, or save it in a word document to add onto as you read. It’s a great way to build your vocabulary, and the more industry specific you get the better. The words you write down could be used in your term papers. Just remember to look up the word later if you’re unclear of it’s meaning. Your professor won’t be impressed that you used every industry term in your paper out of context.

If you want to branch outside of your school texts, try word of the day sites like Wordsmith to expand on your word bank.

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If you’re anxiety ridden lately from exams and papers, maybe it’s time to switch up your playlists.

For the most part people find a calm when listening to their favorite music. It also encourages movement, motivation, and productivity. At seminars you’ll notice music being played softly in the background while you chatter away, and most stores they’ll play music that relates to the retail stores demographic to conjure up positive feelings while you shop. Why not do the same while you study? Make playlists based around your most common stress points in school.

Playlist names:

• “Learning new material”
• “Reading from sun up, to sun down”
• “Exam cramming time”
• “Discussion post jams”

You get the general idea. A good note to keep in mind is including fast music on these tracks to up your level of productivity. Author Galina Mindlin states in her book, Your Playlist Can Change Your Life, that “a fast song with a high beats per minute can calm you down.” It’s something she recommends for people who are striving for high concentration and focus. Just be sure to choose music that you like and feel excited about.

[related: Mission Motivation - How Organization Can Motivate Success in an Online Setting]

By: J. Mason

One of my tricks for memorizing important details for a subject in class is to pick out “hot words.” These are the words that trigger a memory of a sentence in a novel, or a scientific process. So, instead of trying to memorize large chunks, treat it like a search engine would with SEO.

Separate Main Points

The best way to do this if you’re more visual is to take a stack of notecards, put the keyword on one side, and on the other as much relevant information to that word as possible. For example, if you have history test and you write Magna Carta on one side, the other should side should summarize its conception, purpose, and its effect on society. Be sure to cover all the topics your professor outlined throughout the semester, and then take your time reviewing just those cards. I found it easier to have small bites of information, as opposed to large sheets covered back and front with words and symbols.

Get Quizzed

Once you’re feeling confident about what you know, let your family quiz you! The more practice you get the better, and encourage them to ask you for in-depth information. It will improve your understanding on the topic, and relieve some of the stress that comes along with taking your test(s).

[related: 5 Ways to Use Your Tablet for Effective Study]

By: J. Mason