Do you need to be super smart or an academic genius to get a great grade at college or university? Absolutely not! Many students fail to obtain the grade of which they are capable simply because they don’t realise that a student with an ‘average’ ability can do really well. All that is needed is a consistent approach, organisation, preparation and discovering what the examiner/assessor is looking for and delivering it.

Following my tips and advice will take a little extra time each week but will save a lot of time and stress come assessment time and, more importantly will help you to get that great grade.

Organisation Skills -The first thing you need to do is arrange a good filing system. No one system is right for all, so devise your own. The golden rule here is that whatever system you use must be something that will enable you to lay your hand on notes and work instantaneously. Precious time is lost and stress levels rise when students are unable to find a particular piece of paper, set of notes, article, reference etc.
Note Books-Get a separate book for each subject jot down essential lecture notes, ideas, lecturer’s comments and any other gems that you come across. Making a special note to add a reference when appropriate.

There is nothing more frustrating than to have a great quote, piece of information etc and then to lose marks because you are unable to add an accurate reference. Where appropriate transfer information from your notebook into your main subject file-but don’t dispose of the original-you never know if you may need it!

Plan Your Time Effectively/Time Management-Take ten minutes on Sunday evening to sit down and plan your week. Have you heard the saying “People don’t plan to fail-they fail to plan”? You will learn how true this is as you go through life; not having a plan is like bobbing about at sea, never reaching a destination.

The best and easiest way to achieve anything in life is to decide on your goal, set a date by which it needs to be completed and devise a plan of how you’re going to get there.

Be realistic, setting unachievable goals will lead to regular failure which in turn will undermine your self-confidence.

Learn to prioritise- During your Sunday planning session look at the week a head rank your tasks in order of priority. If you have got a particular busy week look at ways that you can “steal” additional time e.g. missing a leisure activity or carrying over a non-urgent task to the following week.

The correct approach to lectures and tutorials/seminars is also vital to success.

Why do we need to consider the right approach? Simply because so many students get it wrong; they fail to capitalise on these golden opportunities by committing one of the following sins:

1. Non-attendance
2. Attend but fail to capitalise due to:

- boredom
-lack of understanding
- too busy note taking to understand the concepts that are being explained

Very few students bother to prepare for lectures why? Simply because they have nothing to do except sit and listen. This approach constitutes a massive waste of an important resource. Correct preparation can provide a solution to all three points under ‘2′ above, the result being that the student obtains greater value from the session by way of greater understanding which will ultimately lead to better marks.

OK so what is the correct approach?

Establish the subject matter of the lecture in advance. Read the relevant pages in your textbook, conduct some research in to the particular area/issue. Get an understanding of what will be discussed. Jot down some notes; involve yourself with the subject matter.

This is important as having a prior knowledge and understanding will enable you to follow what is being said alleviating confusion/boredom.

Rapidly trying to take note of everything the lecturer is saying is not a great idea. So many times I would look around the lecture theatre and see the majority of people scribbling away furiously. The fact is that unless the lecturer is specifically dictating information s/he wants you to know, it will be extremely difficult to simultaneously listen, write and understand.

By obtaining a prior understanding of the subject matter and having jotted down some relevant notes will free you up to give your undivided attention to the lecturer, perhaps making a few additional notes on info you can’t get elsewhere. Ask yourself why you would want to waste lecture time writing down information that can be easily obtained from textbook? Yes, sounds stupid doesn’t it? But look around at your next lecture and see how many people are doing it!

Post lecture you need to spend some time thinking about what has been said. Re-visit texts and add any new notes to those made earlier and check out any references made by the lecturer.

I am a huge advocate of typing up your notes, simply because it is easier to edit and add additional information as you go along. Furthermore they can be printed off as and when required for revision purposes.

- Please, please, please remember to save a copy all notes, essays, projects, data etc to a removable storage device that you keep in a safe place as computers crash and laptops get stolen.

Tutorials/seminars

Preparation here is vital. I know of a couple of tutors who dismiss from the class, any student who has failed to prepare.

Typically the group will have prepared answers to a set of questions or may be asked to present information on a particular issue. The whole point of a tutorial is to encourage independent study. To get students to think, research; formulate ideas and present/discuss their findings.

Failure to prepare and contribute rather defeats the object, at the very least you’ll be passing up on a golden opportunity at worst you may end up looking foolish.

So, prepare properly. Read your lecture note’s, texts’ or other relevant material and formulate your answers. Sometimes tutorial sets are required to do a group project. If so, make sure you meet regularly and allocate tasks and ensure that everyone pulls their weight.

Use the experience to develop your ‘team working’ skills.

Tutorials/seminars present an excellent opportunity because you are in the company of an expert. As such are presented with an opportunity to ask questions or gain clarity on a particular point, use it! Think about how you can expand those notes, gain more insight/better understanding that you can use in coursework/exams to get those extra marks

Following a tutorial you need to add your answers and any additional information to the relevant section of your file and update your notes.

At the end of each module you should have a complete set of ‘revision notes’ comprising information obtained from all your sources. Make sure that you keep up to date, expand your notes, a relevant quote a new development. The more comprehensive your notes and the better you knowledge base the more confident and less stressed you will be come exam time

Make sure that you print off a copy of your latest notes and review them on a regular basis. This doesn’t have to take up any extra time, how do you get to university? Walk, take the bus? Thirty minutes each way? That’s an hour’s revision everyday, this equates to loads of ‘free’ revision time that hasn’t impinged on any other activity!

By going through your notes on a regular basis will get the information embedded in your memory making exam time far less stressful as you will already have an excellent knowledge which can then just ‘honed’.

Buy a set of index cards and jot down main points/important information. Always carry a set with you. When you’re standing in the supermarket queue, waiting at the dentist etc get them out and go through them. You’ll be amazed at how a couple of minutes here and there can really add up.

Don’t just read but test yourself, sometimes when we just read we can get distracted. Try writing the info’ down-make up a question and answer it, this will force you to concentrate. It will also ensure that not only do you know it you also understand it and can apply it. Knowing and understanding are not necessarily the same thing! Preparing written answers will unveil areas of weakness. If possible ask you tutor to read through your answers-this will enable you to determine whether you are on the right track.

If writing out answers seems unappealing don’t forget that your going to have to do it in the exam, probably for up to 3 hours. There’s nothing worse than writer’s cramp-now is your chance to practise and strengthen those fingers’!

There is nothing in the world to which there is not associated a dark aspect. Despite the fact, online education has brought a new revolution in reshaping the mode of education, it has certain drawbacks/disadvantages as well.

Amongst the advantages of distance learning, online education, likewise, offline (traditional college) classes have the same course materials, merely one is expected to sign up for an online class. The online course structure is also the same as the normal classes themselves, but students are asked to order books from online book store. Students can entertain the class participation and discussion on problems they encounter in the course in the chat rooms and forums. Most students write their views on the issues. Students who have weak language skills can keep an easy pace with the discussion made and view posted. Online education’s major source of face to face interaction is through live video and sound with special equipment.

For many people, in the today’s busy world, a face to face class is very difficult. If a person works 8 hours on daily basis he could hardly manage taking regular college or university classes. But an online course can put an ease on the time restriction because the person does the work at their own pace and time. It is also easier to sign up for an online class than a class at a college. Message boards are in use if the students need to leave a question or a comment about the subject their on.

Travel is a one of the major issue that is associated with taking on-the-campus classes if the students reside in remote rural areas. Online education has provided a remedy for issues with those residing remotely. Now, they can attend online classes and save time and money. For example, a child of a farmer can help the family out in the morning with the farming chores then go to an online class later on.

As the price of education is attaining its altitudes, the rates of students applying for online educational classes are continuing to get greater. Teachers can also record themselves on the required locations and the student can download the film in case the session is missed. This gives a student the chance to catch up on a class session if s/he missed out on that day. With online education’s advantages, people have a general comment that some students do not have to put up with bad influences from regular schooling. They help build their own identity without social pressures that traditional schooling may have.

While the advantages of online education are stated there are some disadvantages linked with that such as the there is no real person to person interaction with an instructor. One can not avail the face to face communication and there is no personal attention from an instructor.

Online education fails offering the atmosphere as in the real class under the supervision and support of an instructor and everything is usually done by the student. Everything depends on his or her ability to understand the material and be ready for term papers and test. Some knowledge of computers is necessary if the student wants to be able to stay in the class as being computer illiterate is a big issue determining if the person will pass or fail because most of the work is done online. Lack of interaction is also an issue with online education; one can’t know what question the other fellow has asked as interacting questioning in the classroom environment can help removing lots of ambiguities.

Some low-income learners might be influenced by the computer matters because desktops and laptops are costly and many may not be able to pay for such luxuries. Another problem is if a person always needs an extra push or reminder that a up coming report or test is coming because there is no instructor there to provide the push and it is all up to the student remind themselves.

However, the disadvantages stated above can also be implemented in helping students become more responsive. Some believe that in online education the face to face education and personal interaction is not really important because there are some individuals who will become office workers and might work in a cubical providing the same atmosphere that the online class provides. In this addition, students doing everything by themselves in an online class allow them become more independent. They are taught that there is not always an instructor there to guide them in a problem, as we al require one in our life.

One of the major and the career threatening disadvantage with online education is that NOT EVERYONE on the world wide web CAN BE TRUSTED. There are hundreds of colleges, institutes and universities that are web-based and offer distance earning programs. One can’t know who is offering what, sitting in the internet cloud and whether or not the source is real. And here the issue of accreditation rises.

With the issue of the computer as they are costly and some students can not afford buying personal computers. Such students can use public resources to access the internet such as the library and so on. Many organizations also offers loans, grants, and other forms of financial aid they can obtain to provide them with the tools they need to get started in an online class. The computer training they are acquiring in an online class can provide an opportunity in the competitive job market.

Online education, irrespective of its drawbacks/disadvantages is a tool of the future education and has undoubtedly provided a cheaper way of teaching while still giving the student the material necessary for the class and choose a career they really require.

If you’ve always had an understanding for working with numbers and a desire to learn more about accounting principles then earning your Bachelor of Arts Online Accounting Degree will open these doors for you. Constraints of family and job need not be in the way of furthering your career. Position yourself to enter into the world of corporate, private or personal finance.

Take the little time it requires to fire up your laptop and research the many accredited universities that offer Online BA’s in accounting. These courses are designed to let you choose the times of study that are best suited to your needs. Attending a university campus every day may not be possible for you but devoting a few nights a week or perhaps the weekends will allow you to move ahead in a field you know you can excel in. With your BA in Accounting you will have the knowledge to become a tax advisor or a financial planner and will acquire the skills needed to sit for the CPA exam.

If you have dreams of pursuing extended degree work towards a career in academic finance then a BA in Accounting is your first step in achieving these goals. In today’s global market companies are increasingly looking for professionals capable of keeping them in good fiscal shape, tracking their financial history and most importantly to plan their future growth. You will have the skills necessary to understand the common language necessary to compete for positions in banks, corporate offices and in the nonprofit sector.

Don’t let yourself be held back any longer. Choose to invest in yourself by finding an accredited Online University that offers BA Accounting Degrees. See just how quickly you will be able to propel your career to the next level. Be recognized by your employer as someone you is ready to move ahead in the company. With the academic knowledge acquired in quantitative methods and information technology, management accounting, portfolio analysis to name a few, you will have the confidence it takes to be in line for that next big promotion.

It can be as easy as firing up your laptop while enjoying your Saturday morning coffee to enroll in an Online Accounting Degree program. Take the next step now that will open the doors to the exciting financial world of international business, e-commerce, marketing and human resource management. Put your love of finance and accounting to practice by opening up a wide choice of careers with both domestic and international corporations.

Invest a small amount of your time now by obtaining your Online BA in Accounting and enjoy the financial security of a lifetime of career opportunities. You will put yourself in the position of providing your family with the financial lifestyle that all of you will enjoy. Make that decision now to research the Online Bachelor of Arts program in Accounting that best suits your current situation. Have the freedom of choosing when you can study without having to give up your job and still spend quality time with your loved ones.
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Educational videos have been a staple in interactive classroom learning for years, with no end in sight. While these activities may be changing to include educational DVDs, teachers are now relying on interactive skills to introduce other new technology into their classrooms. An interesting example came out of the Escambia County public school district in Florida.

In 2001, the district sought to combine its two smaller elementary schools into one larger school. When the new facility opened, district leaders wanted to assemble a sophisticated educational technology classroom. Teachers were already used to chalkboards, whiteboards and overhead projectors. They wanted action and interaction. The answer came in interactive whiteboards.

These interactive whiteboards offered the district the opportunity to expand upon its current technologies to create a dynamic learning environment. Educational videos and educational DVDs could now be enhanced even further with a solution that required interactive responses from students and an engaging presentation by teachers.

Interactive whiteboards could not only make this possible, it was also a financially attractive solution as it met the stringent requirements of the district’s budget. It allowed the school to make better use of its current technologies, enhancing them instead of replacing them.

The school district opted to implement the ACTIVboard Collaborative Classroom System from Promethean Inc. as it provided a complete, integrated teaching system that was created specifically for the education system. With this implementation, teachers could go beyond educational videos and educational DVDs and enter a whole new world of technology options.

ACTIVboard offered an electronic whiteboard, necessary software and student peripherals, including the ACTIVslate. This peripheral encourages real-time interaction by allowing students to direct and control the whiteboard from their seats. ACTIVote provides teachers with instant student feedback on various subject matters. All of these pieces are designed to work together to enhance the overall learning experience.

With this integration, the school district would move from merely presenting information to students via whiteboards, to interacting with information and students using the whiteboards. The solution offered a catalyst to change the way things had always been done, to move to an engaging environment where students want to learn and teachers want to teach.

This Florida school found that a wholly interactive system allows the school to still use existing technology such as laptop computers, DVDs, VCRs, projectors, digital cameras, and document scanners to conduct day to day lessons. As such, the school was able to extend the value of these devices while also implementing new technology.

Educational videos and educational DVDs will always have a place in the modern classroom as they deliver experiences beyond the four walls of the school. When they are integrated with interactive learning tools, teachers and students gain even more value from the experience, making the lesson that much more effective.

Empire High School in Vail, located on the edge of Tucson, is the first in the Arizona schools to be all-electronic. Instead of textbooks, the 350 students use wireless, Apple laptop computers to research, organize their data, write and graph assignments, and create class presentations.

The Arizona schools Empire High is a new school with a blank slate. Arizona schools officials could hire new teachers committed to technology-based teaching and purchase computers instead of textbooks. The Arizona schools officials wanted to move teachers away from habitual teaching from textbooks, cover-to-cover, and gave area students the choice to attend Empire or another school.

Having researched schools in other states prior to the all-electronic decision, Arizona schools officials found students who were clearly more engaged in their studies and unusually enthusiastic about school. One reason was that they took a more active part in the lesson process, rather than everything being “fed” to them. Another advantage to laptops over textbooks is that groundbreaking information takes five to six years to get into textbooks, especially in the science fields. Of the few all-electronic schools across the nation, many are doing well from the perspective of both the students and the educators. The Arizona schools officials clearly felt they could enhance their students’ educational experience with technology over textbooks.

Replacing textbooks with laptops for other Arizona schools would prove expensive at $850 each. For Empire, they took the usual $500 to $600 cost per student for a complete set of textbooks for four years, as well as the cost of a computer lab, and used this money to purchase the laptops and added technology needs.

Some new challenges had to be faced by the Arizona schools’ new Empire High and research was done to address them. They had 350 students, who needed to be continuously and reliably connected to the Internet at high speed. All the laptops had to be configured to best suit the needs of the students for learning. The needed educational material had to be located on the Internet and integrated into lesson plans. A method for students to submit assignments across the Web was needed. These were problems they knew had to be resolved before the school year began.

What the Arizona schools officials had not planned on was a different sort of technological problem. It seems that many students who used home computers for gaming, surfing the Internet, and X-Box, had a difficult time translating these skills to those needed in school, such as using word processing software, saving documents to specific locations, and being able to retrieve the files later. Skills training had to be added to the lesson plans.

For other schools that are interested in setting up an all-electronic school, the Arizona schools officials advise that it must be a public choice. You cannot force such drastic learning changes. Include the parents and teachers in the planning at the ground floor.

After a year, the system is working well overall. The Arizona schools plan to increase enrollment at Empire High to 750 students in the near future.

This information on Arizona schools is brought to you by http://www.schoolsk-12.com

Northwest Missouri State University is a state university in Maryville, Missouri, U.S, 90 miles (145km) north of Kansas City. It comprises colleges of arts and sciences, education and human services, and business and professional studies. The campus design was inspired by the Forest Park. Northwest Missouri State University founded in 1905 as a teachers college, it is a liberal arts college offering academic programs at both undergraduate and graduate classes, and the university offers some three dozen master ’s degree programs and a specialist in education program. In 1993 the state legislature designated northwest the official Missouri State Arboretum. Over the past decade, Northwest has earned a national reputation as a leading practitioner of continuous quality improvement through its Culture of Quality. The purpose of this effort is to strengthen all aspects of undergraduate and graduate education. Northwest Missouri State University was the only degree granting college or university selected for a site visit as part of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award Program. Northwest Missouri state university is the only education institution to receive multiple Missouri Quality Awards.

Northwest Missouri State University has always been a leader in utilizing technology to enhance the educational experience. In 1987, Northwest revealed its unique electronic campus program that was designed to accelerate student learning and enrich faculty teaching and research by placing a computer terminal in every residence hall room and faculty office. In 1997, the program was upgraded and all of the faculty members received powerful laptop computers, while network machines were implemented in each residence hall room. Recently, all students staying in the residence halls were given a laptop. Many locations on campus are now connected via WiFi. The program was the first of its kind on a public college or university campus.

In 2000 Northwest Missouri State University began offering an on campus course for gifted high school students who spend their junior and senior years of high school living on the campus completing their high school courses as well as two years of college work. Financial aid is available in the form of grants, scholarships, and loans. Work study programs are also available based on need students must maintain good academies standing. Students who seek financial aid will need to fill out the Federal Student Financial aid form, available online. Northwest Missouri offers more than 150 student organizations including academic and honor societies, fraternities and sororities, sports clubs, and religious and service groups.
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