Archive for the ‘School Standards’ Category


Online students: what are your New Year’s Resolutions for 2012? If you need help finding suggestions then you’re in the right place.

Realistic New Year’s Resolutions for College Students

How often do you make New Year’s resolutions that you stick to? Most New Years resolutions are broken in the first few weeks because they are not realistic. The very first thing you want to do is to make sure that your goals are realistic and not too difficult to accomplish. Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting career goals that you know are too difficult to handle. Start off small the first year, and then increase the next.

New Year’s Resolution Wish List

When you set realistic goals, you are much more likely to stick to them. Make a list of all your New Year’s resolutions, then pick only a few easy ones that you can accomplish.

Here are some useful suggestions to add to your New Year’s Resolutions list as an online student:

  • Get an extra hour of sleep every night by going to bed early.
  • Spend an hour each day reviewing your notes and class material.
  • Participate more in online discussions.
  • Connect with other classmates.
  • Don’t stay out too late on school nights.
  • Spend less time watching TV.
  • Spend a little less time socializing on Facebook, Twitter or MySpace
  • Join online networking groups.
  • Complete projects and assignments on time.
  • Get up early for study online exams.
  • Do your laundry more often.
  • Don’t miss too much class time.
  • Eat breakfast every day.
  • Stay away from negative people.
  • Cut back on buying unnecessary items.
  • Use less credit.
  • Eat healthier.
  • Exercise more often.
  • Get a study partner
  • Sign on to your online classroom daily.

Are New Year’s Resolutions Attainable?

It all depends on what you want to accomplish and the time-frame you have. Unrealistic goals are not going to help you get to where you want to be, there are many career opportunities so make sure you pick things that are attainable. Only you know what you are capable of doing and achieving.

These are just a few simple New Year’s Resolutions that you can start off with. Don’t push yourself too hard or else you’ll get overwhelmed and will give up. Start with the easy things first, then advance to the ones that are a little more difficult to accomplish.

Do add on to the wish list by posting your suggestions in the comments below.

Happy New Year!

The fantastic Ross Sheppard Music department is putting on its FREE winter concert on Tuesday, December 6 in the large gymnasium. The performance will feature the Shep Chorus, the Guitar 20/30 class, one of the Jazz Combo bands, and the Shep Singers. Come out and hear some of your seasonal favourites and other great music from this talented group.

The show will run from 7:00 PM until approximately 8:30 PM.

 

The military is the pride of the nation. It is the direct reflection of how progressive a country and it’s growth on the global economic scenario. A respective armed force, projects a healthy country. This is the main reason why a military institution of a certain country must hold on to its core values and objectives.

The United States is considered to be one of the super powers of the world. Not only do they excel in commercial and industrial aspects but also— their military units show dominance by the virtue of honor, loyalty, and service.

Recently, the US Armed Forces helped Japan in recovering from the tragic tsunami disaster. American troops showed empathy and cooperation with their number ally. This makes the United States military forces known worldwide and being respected by neighboring countries. What makes them exemplary to other military forces worldwide?

“Bear true faith and allegiance to the United States constitution, the Army, your unit, and the other soldiers”. Loyalty is the greatest virtue ever existed. It is a product of faith, trust, and obedience. Soldiers are ordered not to disclose any information to the enemy even if it costs their life. Loyalty in the army is observed by respecting the national constitution, obeying their superiors without much question, and showing patriotism even in the present day.

“Fulfill your obligations”. The army is trained to be responsible individuals. What they are tasked to do, they must fulfill it whole heart knowing it is for the good of everybody. They must come home successful with their operations because they know not failure. It is their main duty to protect, therefore, no citizen of their country must be in danger. Duty is not just something to be taken easily; it should be put to the mind and soul. Early on their military education, cadets are trained to fix their bed, and do their daily routines. It is their duty to fulfill, and they find joy in every accomplishment.

“Treat people as should they be treated” Every individual must be give the deserving treatment. The military is a respective place to be in participation, and being respectable means giving due to colleagues, cadets, superiors, and even civilians. Respect without discrimination, respect even he is white or black, Asian, European, or American.

“Put the welfare of the nation, the army, and your subordinates before your own”. In every situation, dilemma, catastrophe, natural disaster, and wars; military men will always look first at the welfare of their people. It is mostly observed in Indiana military schools and the parts of the United States. Cadets are taught to put their interests back at hand and primarily serve their country and their people.

“Live up to all the Army values”. Being honorable is highly appreciated in the army. No matter what happens, a soldier must not compromise his honor and must maintain it on the pedestal for people to see. Honor is earned by living up to the goals and values of the military institution—and primarily rewarded by medals. It is something that can’t be taken away and must be protected.

“Do what’s right, legally and morally”. Supervision is common in most military schools for boys in Texas and Mississippi. Of course, as young cadets they will be monitored. But when they become soldiers and officers in the army, they will be acting on their own supervision and must act accordingly to military values—integrity. With or without someone watching them, they are obliged to do what is morally and legally right.

 

In the last College without Completion post, we shared that, according to NCES, 42.7% of students did not get a bachelor’s degree from the college at which they began within 6 years . In this post, we look at the effects of leaving college without a degree.

 

There are multiple ways in which a student and his or her immediate family might be affected by a student’s decision to leave college.

A student’s potential earnings, as well as a student’s quality of life, can be greatly diminished by the lack of a degree.

  • Students who have some college but no degree face a higher unemployment rate and sub-median weekly pay check .
  • Students with a bachelor’s degree or a higher degree report a lower level of poverty, a slightly higher job satisfaction rate, a lower obesity rate and children that are better prepared for school .

Parents may be left with a significant lost financial investment if their student fails to persist to a degree. This may include student loans that parents, as cosigners, need to help repay, even though their college-student child did not graduate.

  • 37% of the average college education is paid for by parent income and savings, with an additional 10% paid for by parent borrowing .

 

The thousands upon thousands of students that, every year, leave college without graduating impact colleges, universities and the government.

Colleges and universities know that the failure of students to graduate can hurt a school’s reputation, and, potentially, their funding.

  • Graduation rates are a component used in the U.S. News and World Report’s College Rankings, a college ranking on which many students and parents depend .
  • 17% of parents now look at college graduation rates when deciding where to apply .
  • The College Completion Toolkit, recently announced by Vice President Joe Biden and released by the U.S. Department of Education, includes the strategy of using “performance-based funding of higher education based on progress toward completion” .

 

Federal and state governments, in addition to interest in promoting general economic wellbeing, increasing personal income tax revenue, and retaining high paying jobs in the U.S., are interested in tracking why students fail to persist to a degree because it represents billions of lost public investment..

  • “States appropriated almost $6.2 billion for four-year colleges and universities between 2003 and 2008 to help pay for the education of students who did not return for year two” .
  • “The federal government spent $1.5 billion and states spent $1.4 billion on grants for students who didn’t start their sophomore years” .

 

From the above data, one can see that every party investing in higher education is potentially affected by a student or students leaving college without a degree. 

 

Non-Traditional Student – Ed Yourdon Finding yourself mid-career and deciding whether or not to continue your education is a scary process. Learn how to transistion.

If you are like many Americans today, you may be finding yourself mid-career and debating on whether or not to continue your education. Either going to college for the first time or returning to college to sharpen your skills can make you a more profitable assest in your choosen industry, bur for many non-traditional students the process can seem a bit overwhelming.