While online education is a relatively new industry, it has already made great strides in the past decade, attracting more students than ever before. The economy had a large part to play in the revolution of the online college community, as many online universities have found ways to attract students who have recently been laid off and cannot afford the average expense of college. With advances in technology additionally playing a role in the online education community, more and more traditional schools have also begun to offer online classes for a fraction of the cost of traditional classroom studies.
Online colleges have therefore revamped their programs in recent years to attract a certain type of student to their school. While previously the most common student of online education was the older student who was going back to school, online education has expanded to include students of all ages, and of all degree types. Therefore, schools have become more competitive with their degree program offerings and their prices, making it essentially a “student’s market”. After 2006, online education truly took off, after receiving Congress’ blessing through its approval of the federal student aid bill which thus allowed online schools to receive federal funding (which they previously did not have access to). After this point, online schools were able to attract more students to their programs due to the increased financial aid offerings which previously had not been part of the online education industry.
Additionally, the increased demand of various degrees has led to a greater competition between for-profit online colleges. While traditional schools can try to compete in this realm, they typically do not offer as many degrees (even online) as top online colleges. As a result, online colleges have tread into an area where traditional schools have not been able to go, and have thus been able to offer hundreds of different degree programs to prospective students, ranging from certificates to doctoral degrees. The economy has provided online colleges with an influx of students who need quick and easy degrees, typically in the certificate realm, and many online colleges have thus tweaked their programs to cater more to this type of student. Year-long certificate and associates degree programs have become increasingly popular within online colleges in recent year because of these transitions.
Finally, the advancements that have taken place in technology have increased the popularity of online colleges even further. Most of our lives are now conducted through the internet (banking, email, finances, etc.), and it is no surprise that school joined this trend as well, through advances in web cams and social media programs. Online colleges have altered their programs so that students are not missing out on the traditional college experience, despite the obvious drastic difference between the two realms.
Long before the days of University of Phoenix, Kaplan University, and the multitudes of other online colleges, there were the traditional schools which slowly expanded their student base by allowing distance learning students to take their courses online. Beginning in the late 90s and continuing up to present day, major universities like MIT and Stanford appealed to a wide array of students and allowed students to take several of their courses through the internet without paying the cost of full tuition. Many of these courses were additionally “open” courses, a new concept which allowed online students to take the course notes and assignments from previous years’ classes. These top online colleges were not the online colleges we think of today, but were the original stepping stone into the online education industry.
These early forays into online education served to develop many programs into what they are today. Since that point, many of the more traditional classroom colleges have expanded their degree programs to be offered to students throughout the nation. The passing of the federal bill which allowed funding to online colleges did not hurt the expansion of distance learning either and in fact gave rise to a new type of college. However, many of these original online colleges have kept up with the new distance learning options.
Liberty University is one school that originally only offered a small amount of online courses, which eventually grew toward becoming one of the top online universities. The student population has tripled thanks to its distance learning programs that have attracted students from around the world. As one of the only larger evangelical online universities, Liberty University has prided itself on continuing its path of education even amidst a new type of technology. The passage of Congress’ bill truly opened up programs like Liberty’s to expand into true online degree programs whereas they were only allowed a set amount of online course offerings prior to the bill. After this point in 2003, the online college scene truly opened up to become the field it is today.
MIT and Stanford continue to be recognized for their amount of online courses that are offered, but have now become engulfed in the rest of the course offerings around the country. Nearly every major university now boasts some type of online program, whether it caters to students abroad, or simply students who are interested in one aspect of a degree. This has offered many students to gain a new insight into a topic that is interesting to them without enlisting in the entire university program or commuting to the school. These early top online colleges are still the original blueprints for online education today, and continue to be recognized for their strong march into the new realm of online education.
For many college students, college is a time to experiment, enjoy newfound freedom and party it up–when they’re not busy studying, of course. Unfortunately, one of the side effects of spending a night drinking alcohol is the head-pounding, stomach churning wrath of the hangover. Here are some tips to help you learn to conquer, or at least manage, the effects of a long night of partying so you can get back to your studies and feeling like a normal human being.
Pre-Drinking
Use these tips to prepare yourself before you ever take your first drink.
- Eat something. Having a little something in your stomach can help you better pace your drinking and make you feel better the next day. Aim for something with a good amount of carbs and fat to start your night.
- Take some B6. Studies have shown that vitamin B6 may help you avoid a hangover if it’s taken before drinking, during drinking, and before bed. Even at worst, all you’ll have in your system is more vitamins, so give it a try.
- Have a good time. While it might be a given, research has shown that those who have a positive outlook on life generally have less intense hangovers than those who are angry or depressed.
- Eat olive oil. Coat your stomach with this age-old oil to help protect you from the worst of a hangover. The fat content of olive oil has traditionally been believed to reduce the impact of hangovers.
- Get hydrated. Many of the effects of a hangover are caused by the dehydration of the body from alcohol and caffeinated beverages. Make sure you drink enough water to start counteracting this early on in the evening.
- Try a glass of milk. Some believe that it coats the stomach and helps the alcohol you’ll soon be pouring down the hatch from absorbing as quickly.
- Know your limits. Before you ever head out, you should know how much you can safely drink. While everyone wants to have a good time, what might have been a simple hangover can quickly turn into alcohol poisoning if you get too carried away. Know what you can drink and stick to it.
While Drinking
These tips can help you mitigate the severity of your hangover while you’re enjoying a night on the town.
- Drink water between drinks. This will help you to pace your drinking and ensure that you are rehydrating your body as you go through the night.
- Avoid caffeinated mixers. Caffeine and alcohol are two substances that are great at dehydrating the body and combining them is just asking for a hangover the next day.
- Limit your drinking. It might sound pretty simple, but college students aren’t exactly known for their conservative sipping when it comes to drinking. Avoid binge drinking and you’ll do your body a great service and avoid a whole lot of hangovers in the process.
- Stick with beer. Mixed drinks might taste delicious but they can have varying amounts of alcohol in them based on how much the bartender chooses to put in. With beer, you always know what you’re getting so you can moderate your drinking.
- Have a snack. Enjoying a few peanuts or chips while you’re drinking can help slow down alcohol absorption and taste pretty good to boot.
- Choose hangover-friendly alcohols. You don’t have to be a connoisseur of booze to figure out that the cheaper the alcohol the worse hangover it will probably give you. If you’re planning for a long night of drinking, steer clear of red wines, and cheap, dark liquors if you want to wake up on the right side of the bed.
- Don’t smoke. Smoking and drinking seem like a match made in heaven, but smoking can rob your body of oxygen and leave you with a worse hangover than before.
- Don’t mix. The old saying goes, "Beer before liquor, never sicker. Liquor before beer, in the clear" and those can be words to drink by. Of course, you’re far better off not mixing your alcohols at al,l as studies have shown that mixing in general can worsen your hangover.
- Pace yourself. Use this chart to determine the rate you should be drinking at to avoid getting completely wasted and ending up with a wicked hangover.
Before Bed
Don’t just pass out when you get home. Instead, try a few of these pointers to help you avoid feeling like death warmed over the next day.
- Forget the pain killers. Mixing alcohol and medication can be deadly. Wait until morning (or if it’s already morning, whenever you get up) to take any ache relieving medication you might need.
- More water. Before you go to sleep is a good time to stock your body up on water. You will thank yourself for it in the morning.
- Have a vitamin. Drinking can be hard on your body, so give it the fuel it needs to repair itself while you’re sleeping by taking a multi-vitamin before bed. If you generally get queasy from vitamins, a chewable option might be best.
- Stop drinking. You shouldn’t be drinking as you are climbing into bed, as awesome as that might sound to your friends. Stop drinking at least an hour before you head to sleep to your body has a chance to get some of the alcohol out of your system.
- Have a little OJ. Some studies suggest that vitamin C can help speed up the process of getting that alcohol through your system. If you can’t stand orange juice, any other juice high in vitamin C will do.
- Eat a little something. If you’ve had a lot to drink, you can do yourself a favor by having a high-carb snack before bed. It might pack on some calories but it will also help relieve your hangover.
Next Day
Even the best preparation can’t help you avoid a hangover if you’ve truly gone wild the night before. Try a few of these tips to ease your hangover pain the next day.
- Take ibuprofen. If your head is pounding take ibuprofen to help get relief. To avoid further stomach upset, you might want to have a piece of toast or some cereal first, as ibuprofen can irritate the stomach.
- Stay in bed. There is no hangover remedy as effective as sleep. Get as much of it as you can as it allows your body to get the alcohol out of your system while you’re safely tucked away into dreamland and out of hangoverville.
- Take a shower. It might not get rid of your hangover, but it sure will help you feel better and probably smell a whole lot better. If nothing else, it will help you feel gross in one less way while you’re hung over.
- Have something to eat. Holding down food isn’t always the easiest thing when you wake up with a hangover, but it’s important to try to eat something. Start with toast or crackers and work your way up.
- Avoid any dehydrating foods and drinks. You might be craving a cup of coffee, but beware as the caffeine it contains could make you feel just as bad as good. Try to stick to foods and drinks that will help your body, not hinder it.
- Get moving as soon as you can. You don’t have to be running around the block, but getting active can help you to feel better faster in some cases. If you want an easy avenue, try some yoga poses as they have been shown to help aid in detoxification.
- Water, water, water. The worst parts of your hangover are caused by simple dehydration. Get as much water in your system as you can handle.
- Hang in there. There is no surefire way to get rid of a hangover besides waiting it out, so stay in your jammies, chug water and lay around the house until you’re feeling like your old self again. It might take all day, but you’ll get there.
- Try a sauna. Many people in colder climes, like Russia, believe that a sauna can help alleviate the effects of a hangover by causing you to sweat the toxins out. If you decide to try this, make sure to drink lots of water to stay hydrated while you’re sweating out your boozing.
- Take a bath. Similarly, a warm bath can be a good remedy as well, helping you to relax and feel clean. Some say adding a little wasabi to the mix couldn’t hurt either.
- Give yourself a massage. If you don’t have anyone around, you can give yourself a massage and help motivate your body to get those toxins out of there.
Hangover Friendly Drinks
While some people claim that the hair of the dog that bit you (even more alcohol) is the best remedy, medical science has shown that that’s absolutely the worst thing you can do for yourself. Try one of these drinks instead.
- Emergen-C. This vitamin C-filled drink will help you battle off your hangover without the stomach-irritating acid of orange juice.
- Green tea. Green tea is just plain good for you and in many places in the world it’s a traditional hangover cure. Give it a try the next time you don’t feel so good the morning after.
- Salt solutions. Try adding a little salt to your water to make it easier for your body to handle while you’re hung over. Just don’t add too much as it can dehydrate you.
- Pedialyte. While this drink is formulated for kids, it has plenty of ingredients in it to help adults who don’t feel well.
- Fruit juice. Fruit juices have vitamin C and sugar, both of which can help you battle the effects of a hangover. Just beware of those that are especially acidic, as this can make your stomach feel even worse.
- Carbonated soda. While you may want to avoid the caffeinated kinds, the carbonation of soda can help relieve an upset stomach and the sugar can help return your blood sugar levels to normal.
- Ginger ale. Ginger is an age-old cure for stomach upsets. Make sure you’re getting a ginger ale with real ginger and you could get a little relief from nausea and the feeling like the room is spinning.
- Gatorade. While a night of drinking doesn’t really have the same benefits as running a marathon, it can take the same kind of toll on your body. Drinking sports drinks can help you replenish your sugars, hydrate you, and get you balanced and back to normal.
Hangover Friendly Foods
If your stomach wants to reject just about anything you put in there, try one of these foods first to help you re-balance your body and get on the path to feeling better.
- Crackers. If your stomach is particularly upset, crackers may be all you’re able to keep down. Keep nibbling away at those saltines as they will help your recovery greatly.
- Rice. Rice is a pretty inoffensive food and can help you get something in your stomach and your body on the path to feeling better.
- Pasta. The same goes for pasta. Avoid heavy, creamy sauces and you’ll be able to load up on hangover fighting carbs.
- Eggs. Eat a healthy breakfast of eggs to get a dose of cysteine, a substance that fights off the by-products of your body’s metabolization of alcohol.
- Asparagus. Some believe that eating asparagus before and after drinking can boost the enzymes responsible for breaking alcohol down in your system.
- Bananas. With loads of potassium, bananas are one of the classic hangover foods as they won’t hurt your stomach and contain substances that can help you recover.
- Chicken soup. Soup isn’t just good for when you have a cold, it can also help you battle through a hangover with helpful proteins and water.
- BLT. Team up proteins and carbs in a bacon sandwich to do a number on your hangover symptoms.
Something Completely Different
You likely won’t have many of these remedies lying around the house, but if you’ve already tried everything else, why not truck on down to the grocery store and give these a whirl?
- Prickly pear extract. One study has shown that taking this in pill form helped to stave off hangover symptoms like dry mouth and nausea.
- Bifidus powder. It might cost you a pretty penny, but this protein powder will help you feel better faster. Isn’t that priceless?
- Evening primrose oil. Find this age-old remedy at your local health food store. It will help your stomach feel better and ease the impact of your drinking on your liver.
- Milk thistle. This herb, when taken in a pill before bed, is sworn by in many areas of the world.
- Pickle juice. It might not be the most appetizing thing to drink, but some believe this interesting beverage could help your hangover by containing both salt and water.
- Cumin seeds. One of the properties of this herbal seed’s oil is said to be sobering you up quickly, and it is also used to restore energy, settle the stomach and more.
- Raw egg. If you can somehow choke it down, many claim it is a big help in getting rid of a hangover. You can aid in the process by mixing it with orange juice.
- Ginseng. Ginseng isn’t just for old people, it can also help give you a burst of energy and help your body process the alcohol in your system.
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Online degree programs have remained so popular due to the high prominence of success stories by recipients of various online degrees. From a Masters in Forensic Science to MBA recipients, most students have had a pleasant experience in dealing with online classes.
Most graduate students taking online classes have had experience in the working world and are earning a supplemental degree while holding onto their job. Online colleges have offered most of them the opportunity to continue working, even traveling for business, while keeping up with their classes and schoolwork. Traditional classroom study would not allow these students the same accessibility of taking classes whenever and wherever they choose. However, the past few years have seen an increase in the number of business professionals who are securing additional degrees as a result of the ever-expanding online college community.
Many online degree success stories are from the past few years, as business executives and others want to move up in their work position and are now allowed to do this while still holding on to their career and family life. Online classroom study means that most of these students do not have to drastically disrupt their lives. While earning an additional degree is still a challenging task, online classes have cut down on the commute and extra time in the evenings to settle into class. Popular degrees include MBA and other business-related degrees, with many online degree success stories promoting larger online universities such as University of Phoenix and Kaplan. However, many students have additionally had good experiences with state schools that have simply offered degrees online, thereby allowing students from different states to partake in their graduate programs.
Online degree programs have become popular with other sects of students as well, including those in the military. Many students who are in the military are still performing their duty of service, which means they are traveling the world; what better way to take advantage of your time than to earn a degree at the same time? Most military programs pay for Bachelor’s degrees and higher degree programs, which allows many of these students the chance to move up in rank if they want to continue in the military. Many online success stories have also come from these students, a seemingly large population within the online community. Most online success stories come from students who would never have been able to pursue an additional degree had the online college community not come into existence. Thanks to this innovative improvement in technology, students who may not have the time or resources to attend traditional universities can now attain nearly every type of degree, and do so in a method that is pleasant for them. Many online degree success stories can be found at http://jobs.aol.com/online-campus/2009/10/19/i-got-an-online-degree/
By Donna Scott
Whether you are taking advantage of the economic times to make a career move or if you have been laid off from your job, by many accounts, this is a great time to reevaluate your options and move ahead toward a career that will provide you with the fulfillment you seek. The following list offers resources for career changing, career and skill assessments, tools to help you create awesome resumes and cover letters, information on changing careers later in life, moving into a non-profit job, and online networking to find your next job.
Resources on Career Changing
The following articles will help you learn about and plan for a career change.
- Making Career Changes. Whether you were laid off or are making a career change intentionally, this resource offers tons of information on ways to make the transition smoothly and successfully.
- Career Changers Choose Teaching. This article explores why many career changers go to teaching and how to make it happen for you.
- Job Search and Career Change Success Stories. This podcast showcases several people who have successfully made career changes.
- Strategic Portrayal of Transferable Job Skills is a Vital Job-Search Technique. Learn how to make your experience fit within your new target career with this article.
- 10 Steps to Escaping the Job World and Creating the Life You Really Want. This article will help you identify your passions and focus on a new direction for your new career.
- Make Your Vacation Spot Your Home. If you are considering moving to your ideal location, check out this article to find important points to consider.
- Finding your Career Passion. This list of points to consider will have you thinking about what inspires and motivates you so you can consider a fulfilling career.
- Three Who Followed the Market to a Better Job. Read about these three professionals who made solid career changes.
- Career Change from the Inside Out. This article offers two great books to help you change your perspective on your career, whether you actually switch your job or not.
- A career change in this economic climate? Absolutely!. This article outlines why now may be a great time to change careers and how to go about doing so.
- How to Prepare for a Career Change, Job Loss or Self Employment. Find out what you can do to prepare for any type of job change.
Tips for Career Changing
Follow this advice to ensure your career change goes smoothly.
- The 10-Step Plan to Career Change. These ten steps will help you explore and find the next career for you.
- Practical Tips for Professionals Ready for a Career Change. Exploring some of the options available to one specific professional, the tips here are inspiring for anyone looking for a career change.
- Career Change Do’s and Don’ts. From having a well-developed plan to being flexible, these tips will help you get in the right frame of mind when considering career change.
- Facing a Job Search | Dodging Landmines. This video interview discusses what you should do to prepare for a career switch.
- Control Your Career — Be Your Own Headhunter. Don’t rely on someone else to find your perfect job, follow this advice and let the person who knows you best do it–you!
- Five Tips for Switching Career Paths. Follow these tips to ensure you can make the career switch successfully.
Websites Specifically for Career Changing
Visit these websites for advice on career changing, discovering terrible bosses, and advice for women coming into the workforce after time away.
- Career Change: Advice and Tips for Changing Careers. From About.com, this site offers resources, tips, and advice on changing your career.
- eBossWatch. Make sure your next boss isn’t a bad one with this website where employees can make anonymous reports about the quality of their boss.
- Careershifters. This site from the UK offers tons of advice and resources for those making a career change.
- A Career Change. Find advice and tips on making a career change from experts on this site.
- YourOnRamp. Specifically for women making a career change, this site offers tons of advice and resources, as well as a job board.
Career and Skill Assessment Tools
Use these tools to discover your strengths and find direction when looking at new career options.
- O*NET Online. From the US Department of Labor, this site lets you browse skills, tools, and technology to find matching occupations as well as explore occupations in a variety of categories, including In-Demand Jobs.
- CareerOneStop Career Tools. Find tools such as a certification finder, job description writer, and skills profiler here.
- VocationVacations. An excellent way to try out your dream job to ensure it really is your dream, VocationVacations offer you the opportunity to try jobs while on vacation.
- LiveCareer Free Career Testing. Take this assessment to receive a report detailing career options specifically matched to your skills and abilities.
- JobDiagnosis.com. Get free job diagnosis and career matching when you complete the survey on this site.
- Work Preference Inventory. This quick assessment will map out the environment in which you work best.
- Career Planner Quiz. Take this quiz to discover what new career might be for you.
- Keirsey Temperament Sorter. This popular personality assessment will help you discover for what type of career you are best suited.
- Career Exploration. This step-by-step tutorial can help you determine what career is right for you.
- Career Tests. These tests can help you understand your specific styles so you can know what kind of career to seek.
Tools for Resumes and Cover Letters
Make sure you use these tools and resources to create great resumes and cover letters–your first introduction to potential employers.
- Career Changers’ Most Powerful Resume and Cover-Letter Tool: Transferable Skills. Learn how to make your past experience work for you on your resume and cover letter during a career change.
- 5 Phrases That Can Poison Your Resume. Avoid these resume killers and cliches when putting together your resume.
- Resume Videos. Watch these free videos to learn how to create a great resume.
- Quickstart Resume Templates. Select from over 300 templates from a variety of educational backgrounds to help you create a perfect resume.
- Free Resume Critique. Submit your resume here to find out how it measures up and what you might need to change.
- Sample Cover Letters. These samples include a generic template as well as more specialized letters from a variety of referrals.
- Cover Letters. Find a sample cover letter, an example of the best and worst cover letters, and more.
- Cover Letter Samples. Use these samples to get you started writing excellent cover letters that will get your foot in the door for an interview.
Job Search Sites
These sites offer tons of job opportunities as well as advice and information to make your job search a successful one.
- Indeed. Indeed just asks you to enter a location and job title, key word, or company name to find what jobs are available in your area.
- Yahoo! HotJobs. See what jobs are available through Yahoo!, where you can search by keyword or browse by category or location.
- Monster. One of the most popular job search sites, Monster will help you connect with employers, create a resume, plot a career plan, and much more.
- Jobster. Create a profile with such features as a video resume, links to your website, and more with Jobster.
- Quintessential Careers. Create a free account to find jobs with this industry-specific tool.
- Simply Hired. Simply Hired allows you to easily search by keyword and location to find available jobs.
- CareerBuilder.com. Search for jobs, send out your resume, and more with this job search site.
- JobPile. A job board aggregator, this site brings you the best of the popular job boards in one place.
- Craigslist. Craigslist is a great place to search for jobs with small to medium-sized companies. Stay on top of your search daily to find the best jobs.
- Employment Spot. Find a job or browse through the articles and information available here to get tips on finding a job.
- JobFox. Create a profile and let JobFox match you to potential job openings through introductions.
- JobBoardReviews. This site lets you look at the major job boards and get job search news too.
Interviewing
Make sure you are ready for the interview by checking out these resources.
- Tough Interview Questions. Read through and answer these tough questions, then click on "Best Answers" to see how you did.
- Fifty Standard Interview Questions. Practice answering the questions on this list to ensure you aren’t caught by surprise during the big interview.
- Candidate Interview Questions. Asking questions of your interviewers is important, so be prepared with these handy lists of questions.
- Phone Interviewing Success. Use these tips to make sure you make the best first impression with your phone interview.
- When Job Hunting: Dress for Success. Find out what to wear to an interview, how to get donations if you can’t afford interview clothes, and other information about dressing for success.
- What Not to Wear on an Interview. Make sure you look professional on your interview with the suggestions here.
- Improve Your Interview Appearance and Body Language. This video will help you learn the importance body language can play in an interview and teach you what to do.
- Interview Prep for New Grads. You don’t have to be a new grad to use these great tips.
Resources for Returning to School
If you are thinking about going back to school as a part of your next career move, then read these informative articles.
- Considering Graduate School? Answer These Five Questions Before You Decide. These questions are a great place to start when considering going back to school for your graduate degree.
- A return to school before a return to the job market. This article takes a look at why many choose poor job markets as a time to return to school and what that education may look like with online and part-time educational opportunities.
- Non-traditional Student. This list of resources is specifically for older students returning to school.
- Alternative Admission Programs. If you are considering returning to college for your undergraduate degree but have been out of high school for many years, learn about these programs that may gain your admission to college.
- Getting creative. This article describes how laid-off workers and career-changers go back to school to follow their passions.
- Is a Return to School in Your Future?. This blog post offers helpful advice and points of consideration if you are contemplating returning to school.
- Career Path Leads Back to School. Learn how this late-blooming student went back to school to improve her career.
Career Changing Later in Life
All of these resources are targeted to those making career changes later in life.
- Can I Change My Career Without Losing Ground?. For women over 50 with a gap in employment history, this article offers advice about seeking a career without undervaluing yourself.
- Resume, Cover Letter, and Interview Strategies for Older Workers. Get great tips to make all aspects of your job search appealing to employers.
- Life After Work. Become inspired by the stories of these seven Baby Boomers who recreated their careers after retirement.
- An Unsatisfied Executive Asks ‘How Do I Change Careers?’. Find out how you can use your past experience to focus on your future.
- AARP Work. This section of the AARP website offers articles, tips, and more for mature individuals seeking information on career and job.
- Career Change and the Seasoned Worker. Explode some tired myths about career change with this article.
- Baby Boomers, Beware! Don’t Let Your Resume Date You!. Follow these strategies to ensure your resume looks current and attractive.
- Positive Attitude is Key When Fighting Prejudice Against Older Workers. If you’ve bumped up against age discrimination during your job search, then this article is a must-read for you.
- WiserWorker.com. This site is dedicated to helping seniors find employment with resources and job listings.
- Experience Works. Helping older people get training and find employment is the mission of this organization.
- RebootYou.com. Find plenty of information here about recreating your career later in life.
- SeniorJobBank. Specifically for job-seekers over 50, this site brings employers and employees together.
- Seniors4Hire. For job-seekers over 50, this site offers free membership, job resources, resume posting, and more.
Non-Profit Jobs
If you are looking for a more fulfilling career, take a look at the non-profit world with these resources.
- Career Change to a Job in the Non-Profit World. Determine if a job with a non-profit is for you and how to go about establishing this new career.
- Bridgestar. If you are trying to find a non-profit job, this site offers information about working in the non-profit realm as well as job searches.
- Opportunity Knocks. Find a non-profit job, post your resume, and browse through all the resources on this site.
- NTEN. Non-profit technology jobs are the focus on this site that offers job postings, events, webinars, and much more.
- Idealist. Not only can you find job postings here, but you can also connect with other like-minded people and organizations working for the opportunity for all people to "lead free and dignified lives."
- Care2 JobFinder. Find jobs with socially responsible companies at the Care2 JobFinder page.
- Jobs for Change. If you want a job where you can make a difference for society or in a non-profit sector, then check out this site.
Online Networking
Online networking has become an important way to find a job. Learn what you should do to pursue this avenue.
- Guy Kawasaki Shares 10 Ways to Use LinkedIn to Find a Job. Follow this advice to learn how to use online networking to help you find a job.
- Five Strategies for Leveraging Your Online Social Networks. Use these five strategies to improve your chances of finding a job through online networking.
- Career Networking Do’s and Don’ts. Don’t be afraid to ask and do realize why networking is important are just the beginning of the helpful tips here.
- HOW TO: Build the Ultimate Social Media Resume. Use this tool to help you build an online resume that will let others know what you have to offer.
- Using Your Blog as a Job Search Tool. Use your blog to find a job with the information here.
- 50 People on Twitter Job Seekers Should Follow. Follow these 50 Twitter feeds if you are looking for a job and read the follow-up post for even more.
- Networking. This article will help you learn what you should and shouldn’t do when it comes to online networking.
- Keep Your E-Image Clean. This advice will help you know how best to keep your image clean when it comes to online networking.
Freelancing
Maybe you are ready to strike out on your own. If so, then you will want to look through these resources.
- Freelance Employment: a Viable Option. Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of freelancing as a career change or parallel career.
- Five steps to a successful freelance career. These five valuable pieces of advice will get you started on a successful freelancing career.
- The Pros and Cons of Freelancing. This article offers a fair look at some of the benefits and down sides of freelancing.
- Go Freelance. This site helps connect freelancers with people hiring freelancers.
- FreelanceJobOpenings.com. Browse through the freelance listings here to find opportunities.
Technology has now evolved to such a point that we can now travel with books stored on a small device, able to read a virtual library by the touch of a screen. It is therefore no surprise that online libraries have become a popular method of finding books virtually. Springing up nearly overnight, online libraries now offer users the opportunity to explore vast literary collections while not leaving the comfort of their home.
While some online libraries impose a small fee on users, many others allow users to peruse their collections for no cost at all, working similar to public libraries around the country. Simply hearing “online library” may cause many of us to cringe at the thought of losing beloved books, however, many online libraries are formatted in such a way that it appears users are reading an actual book. There are many only databases which make it difficult to read books due to the never-ending mouse cursor slowly moving further down the page; however, online libraries seem to hold almost a scanned-copy of the book, complete with the original typeface. This allows users to still have the feeling of reading a traditional book while carrying it with them on their hard drive. Furthermore, online libraries such as the Online Books Page allow users to increase or decrease the page size, accommodating users who usually check out books in larger print.
Other online libraries break their collection up by genre and location, such as the Internet Public Library. This online library in particular presents itself much like a traditional library, in the sense that users can peruse various sections, such as literature, reference, teenager, etc. Earlier online libraries did not hold such a distinction and simply allowed users to only type in an author’s name or title. However, with the increasing amount of technological advances, more databases are making themselves available online.
Universities have allowed their students to access valuable literary databases online for years, although the universities contained certain membership subscriptions to these resources. These early online databases were the first stepping stone to creating an online database of resources for the general internet public, expanding over the years to allow patrons of all walks of life to appreciate the technological perks. There are now dozens of online libraries, making it easy to delve into new literary books, or even learn a new language. It is now only a matter of finding the online library that caters to your specific needs as a patron. For example, I enjoy the layout of the Internet Public Library, since it sections off the various genres of literature and allows the user to view alternate sources to online books. However, there are also various online sources for every type of person, whether you are looking strictly for literary books, scientific books, or historical books; there are now online libraries for each section around the internet.
By Emily Thomas
Getting your degree in three years isn’t impossible, especially if you’re earning your degree online. It just takes some dedication and excellent time management skills. The following tools will help you take shortcuts, take an honest look at how you use your time, help create lists and schedules, organize your tasks, help with research and projects, keep you connected with classmates more efficiently, and more.
Shortcuts
From hotkeys to password managers, the following tools will help you find shortcuts for plenty of computer activities.
- Launchy. Bypass your start menu and desktop icons to launch documents, files, folders, bookmarks, and programs with a single key stroke when you use Launchy.
- Quicksilver. Mac users can enjoy using Quicksilver for launching apps, like with Launchy, but also emailing files, queuing albums for that extra study motivation, looking up definitions, and sending IMs.
- AutoHotkey. Create hotkeys or mouse clicks to automate anything from expanding abbreviations to creating custom menu bars.
- MemoKeys II Lite. Similar to AutoHotkey, this tool allows you to create shortcuts with hotkeys to help speed up composing email messages, automatically plug in passwords, open documents, and more.
- Hyperwords. If you use Firefox for your web browser, then check out Hyperwords. This add-on allows you to select a word on any page and perform any number of tasks with it, such as look up the definition, translate it, tag it, email it, send it to Twitter or Facebook, and more.
- WakeupOnStandBy. Use this tool to wake your computer from standby or hibernation to run scheduled tasks or programs automatically.
- LastPass. This password manager will remember passwords, complete online forms for you, and allows you to log in to sites with one click.
- Agrata. Forget your passwords and spend more time remembering important facts for school with this encrypted tool that securely stores all your passwords.
Analyze and Manage Your Time
Use these tools to monitor, analyze, and even promote smart usage while online or on your computer.
- RescueTime Solo. Install this app, then let it do the work for you as it tracks the apps and websites you are using. Find out how much time you spend on each and learn how to restructure your time more efficiently.
- Toggl. This time tracker is easy to embed and helps you track and analyze your time spent on various projects.
- TimeTracker. Keep track of the amount of time dedicated to any task you do with TimeTracker.
- LeechBlock. Block yourself from using any time-draining websites with this Firefox add-on.
- SlimTimer. Create tasks, time your work on each, then take a look at how well you are managing your time with this tool.
- Personal Time Management Tool. Complete this worksheet for one typical week and see how you can better manage your available time.
- Wakoopa. Track the time you spend using various apps and create easy-to-read graphs to better understand how you can optimize your time on the computer.
To-Do Lists
These to-do lists will ensure you never miss an important assignment or test.
- NowDoThis. To-do lists can’t get more simple than this one. Use this for an easy way to remember what you need to do next.
- Checkvist. This is a to-do list on hyperdrive. It manages all your to-do lists and organizes them into one list that you can even share with others.
- Ta-Da Lists. Make as many to-do lists as you need with this tool that very easy to use.
- Vitalist. This web-based GTD tool helps you stay on task with its intuitive format.
- Remember the Milk. This popular to-do list keeps your tasks organized, reminds you when something is due, and works with Google Calendar and your iPhone.
- HassleMe. Your to-do list will hassle you when it’s time to get something done.
- bitBomb. Get text messages with reminders for your tasks with this tool.
- Toodledo. Create a to-do list, then let Toodledo analyze your dates, priorities, and time estimates to create a schedule for you.
- Bla-bla List. You can email this simple to-do list to yourself or update others via RSS feed.
- My 50. This tool will help you keep focused on your goals by managing your list of accomplishments.
Note-Taking and Highlighting
Organized and efficient highlighting and note-taking of information can drastically cut your study time down, so give these time-saving tools a try.
- Evernote. Probably the most popular note-taking tool, and for good reason, Evernote allows you to capture notes from any format, synchronize them across your devices, and even share with others.
- Google Notebook. Keep all your notes together with this tool. You can even label and share your notes.
- Zotero. This Firefox app helps you collect, organize, and cite research sources from the Internet.
- Stickies. If you need a way to keep quick notes available on your desktop, Stickies allows you to use virtual Post-It notes to keep track of your information.
- Wizlite. Use this tool to highlight any text online. You can share with classmates, too.
- Qipit. Take a photo with your phone of a document, then create PDF files that you can fax, email, or store.
- Clipmarks. Save text, images, and video from any place on the Internet with this tool.
- Web-Chops. This tool lets you to take portions of web pages and save them on your own page at Web-Chops.
- Diigo. Highlight portions of web pages, create sticky notes, and have access to your notes from your cell phone.
- UberNote. UberNote allows you to email or IM notes or bookmark them, with access from your desktop or your mobile phone.
- Jott. Call a number to leave yourself a note, add an appointment to your calendar, and even have your voice mail transcribed with Jott.
- Wired-Marker. A great way to remember exactly what you were interested in remembering, this tool permanently highlight specific sections of websites and automatically bookmarks your selection.
Citation
Don’t spend needless time trying to get your citations done correctly. Instead, use these tools.
- EasyBib. Create a bibliography in MLA style of any book, journal article, or website with this tool.
- Ottobib. Enter the ISBN from any book and automatically get a bibliography in MLA, APA, Chicago, or other styles of your choice.
- Connotea. Manage online references with this tool that is specifically designed for researchers.
- CiteULike. As you find scholarly articles on the Internet, use this tool to store, organize, and share them from any browser.
Student Organizers
These organizers address scheduling, homework, tasks, assignments, and more so you can stay on the fast track to graduation.
- MyNoteit. Just for college students, this note-taking and organizing tool will help you keep notes, assignments, and tasks organized and is also shareable with classmates.
- Notely. This student organizer has a to-do list, calendar, schedule, and homework planner to help keep you on track.
- GradeMate. Manage grades, assignments, notes, discussions, and more with this student organizer.
- Gradefix. Fix your grades or just learn to manage your time better with this tool that organizes your homework schedule for you.
- CollegeRuled. College students can create schedules that are even accessible through Facebook, create lists and manage notes for specific classes, and create message boards to facilitate communication between classmates.
- Backpack. Backpack allows for easy organization and collaboration with to-do lists, announcements, calendars, files, and even centralized discussions with others.
- Tasks Jr.. This web-based task manager allows you to organize and prioritize your projects for class.
- HiTask. This free task management tool provides you with easy scheduling, organizing, and sharing of tasks.
Documents, Spreadsheets, and Presentations
These tools will help you create awesome documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with ease.
- Google Docs. Write your own papers or collaborate on class projects with Google Docs.
- Zoho Docs. Another free document organizer and creator, Zoho Docs allows you to share, collaborate, or work on your own.
- Zoho Sheet. Zoho also offers a free spreadsheet program with plenty of great features that is also compatible with Excel.
- EditGrid. This collaborative spreadsheet is great for class projects and is feature-rich.
- OpenOffice.org. If you don’t have the money to spend on Microsoft Office Suite, then check out this open source alternative.
- Empressr. This presentation tool lets you incorporate video, photos, music, and more to create stunning presentations.
- ajaxWrite. Firefox users can download this free word processor for a great substitute for Microsoft Word that is also compatible with Word.
- Writeboard. Create a web-based text document with this tool, then edit, share, or send yourself a text file of the document.
Bookmarking
Bookmarking your research with these tools ensures you spend less time trying to track down what you already found online.
- Delicious. This popular bookmarking site allows you to save favorite sites, add notes to yourself, and share with others.
- Digg. Bookmark your favorites and see how users vote and what they say about their own favorite sites here.
- PurpleBunny. Bookmark, comment on sites, share with others, and discuss web sites.
- StumbleUpon. StumbleUpon offers sites that meet your selected criteria that you can bookmark for future reference.
- Fleck. Keep all your bookmarks in one place and share with friends. Choose between the original a lite version for Twitter, or (soon) a version specifically for education and business.
- Reddit. Bookmark your favorite sites here where users can vote on the content.
- Snip!t. Snip sections of webpages you want to remember and add them to your bookmarks.
- iFaves. Organize bookmarks most visited or tags you assign so that you don’t lose track of your bookmarks.
- Clipmarks. With this bookmarking tool you can select text, video, or image from a webpage and save it.
Organizing Thoughts and Ideas
Whether planning out a major project, a research paper, or just keeping all your thoughts in one place, these tools provide great ways to do all of that.
- Mind42. This free browser-based online mind mapping tool allows you to organize all your thoughts for yourself or to share with others.
- Mapul. Easily create organic-looking mind maps with this tool.
- Kayuda. Organize your thoughts, whether you want to record your own or are trying to organize a brainstorming session with classmates.
- Gliffy. Make flowcharts for a project or use this tool to help organize your ideas.
- yWriter5. This app organizes large written projects in a unique way that breaks them down into smaller, more manageable pieces.
- VUE. Created at Tufts University, this mind mapping tool is designed specifically for teaching, learning, and research.
- FreeMind. This mind-mapping software helps you keep track of projects, organize research, brainstorm.
- Cmap Tools. Create concept maps with this tool designed specifically for academic research.
- Mindomo. This web-based mind mapping tool will keep you organized and thinking clearly.
- bubble.us. Start your brainstorming session with this simple online tool that connects your ideas through thought bubbles.
- WiseMapping. Create free mind maps with this tool, then share with classmates.
- View Your Mind. This mind mapping tool draws images to represent your thoughts and ideas.
Communicating and Collaborating
Staying in touch with classmates or study partners can reduce wasted time. Use these tools to enhance your communication and collaboration.
- Gmail. This popular email program is not only free, but so full of incredible features that will have you saving time instead of becoming a slave to your email.
- meebo. IM your friends and classmates with meebo and it doesn’t matter if they are on AIM, MySpace, MSN, or Yahoo!
- Pidgin. Download this tool so you can IM with classmates and friends on 16 different IM accounts.
- Campfire. Set up instant chat rooms with your study group or classmates using this tool to make communicating as a group much easier.
- MeetWithApproval. Plan a virtual meeting with classmates or organize a face-to-face meeting with this tool.
- ThinkFold. ThinkFold allows groups to create interactive, real-time outlines without the confusion often experienced during collaboration.
- Thinkfree. The free services with this tool include document creation and sharing, file sharing, collaboration, blogging, and iPhone access.
- Thinkature. Collaborate with classmates, organize your thoughts and research, and prepare your paper or project with this tool.
- Springnote. This note-taking and collaboration tool allows you to take notes for yourself or work with others to create a group notebook.
- LooseStitch. Create outlines, share with others, and keep your changes in one place with this tool.
- writewith. Ideal for writing projects, this tool keeps everyone on the same page with shared documents and tasks, discussions, and more.
Calendars
These calendars are dynamic and will help you stay on task for your three years of college–and beyond.
- Google Calendar. This popular calendar allows you to track events, set reminders, share with others, and easily import appointments straight from Gmail.
- Yahoo! Calendar. Another popular calendar similar to Google, this one keeps your schedule and also has a contact list, note pad, and access to your Yahoo! email.
- 30 Boxes. This online calendar is easy to use and has a simple design that leaves your time for more important things than entering schedule information.
- Jotlet. Create an online calendar and share it with friends, family, or classmates with Jotlet.
- WhichTime. Download this free calendar to keep up with everything and customize it with the widgets available.
Miscellaneous Tools
From sharing class notes to finding text books quickly to getting an instant word count on your paper, these tools offer even more ways to save time.
- UniversityNotes.net. Upload notes or download notes from others, share information about classes and instructors, and more on this site.
- Google Reader. Whether you are keeping track of blogs for school research or personal interests, using Google Reader will keep them organized and easy to access in one place.
- Bookfinder.com. Find any text you need quickly with this handy tool–and even sell them back when your semester is finished.
- WordCounter. Use this online word counter by simply pasting your content into the tool and get an instant and accurate word count.
- Emurse. After all your hard work, get ready for your job search with this tool that will create, store, and share your resume and provides you with printing in a variety of formats.
- TelePixie. Get wake-up calls, reminders, alerts, and more on your mobile phone with this tool.
