DISTANCE LEARNING | CONTINUING EDUCATION | ONLINE DEGREES

College is a ceaseless barrage of assignments, deadlines, and papers. Somehow, between running to classes and pounding out essays, you have to actually absorb the deluge of information being thrown your way, to say nothing of maintaining your sanity and sense of normalcy.

Although learning styles differ, it has been found that certain techniques almost universally help students learn and retain knowledge better and faster. Check out the following five ways to improve your study skills:

1. Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. Did I mention repetition? That’s probably because “repetition is the mother of knowledge.” It was true when you were a newborn babe, and it’s true now. Humans learn by being exposed to things again and again and again. Research has found that humans, on average, must encounter information seven times before they commit it to long-term memory. Other research has found that frequently returning to the same information greatly increases retention.

How does this apply to you? It means that attending lecture isn’t enough. It means that you need to increase the number of times you see and think about the things you are learning. This may be as simple as reviewing your lecture notes the next day, reviewing material in a study group, or doing assigned homework exercises. The more you return to the information, the greater your chances that the information will be in your head when you need it.

2. Take notes. Something magical happens in the brain in the process of taking spoken information into the ears and translating them into words on the page. The brain has to process the information once when it hears it and then once more when it sends the signals to the hand to write it. The result: your brain thinks twice about information it is receiving, which is a good thing!

So, don’t substitute the digital recorder for taking good notes. Notes go a long way toward increasing retention. Returning to your notes can recall important memories of lectures and intuitive links made during those lectures. They are an essential companion to repetition.

To increase the power of note-taking, don’t just write down rote what the professor has on the board. Change up the wording. Put it in language you can understand and will easily recall later. This adds one more opportunity for your brain to process the information before moving on to the next item.

3. Diagram it. Before letters and words came along, man started his communications career using pictures to convey feelings, stories, and information. It seems the human brain is just hardwired to understand the world through pictures. So, you might as well use this unique ability to get through school.

When studying complex concepts, try sketching out diagrams that explain them in succinct but correct ways. Put these diagrams in the margins of your notes, over your Gene Simmons poster, or somewhere else where you will see them often. You will be amazed at how these diagrams pop right back into your head during exams or even later during crucial job interviews- instead of, say, pictures of Gene Simmons.

4. Create a space. Maybe as important as how you study is where you study. Places with lots of noise or activity create traffic jams in your brain with only limited amounts of desired information making it to your memory banks. On the other hand, places with lots of room and peace and quiet let you focus solely on the information before you and ensure maximum retention.

Experts recommend that you find your temple of study, a place that you can return to again and again with the sole purpose of studying. Look for a place with the following characteristics: good lighting, good ventilation, a comfortable (but not too comfortable) chair, and a desk large enough to spread out your materials. Some things you want to avoid: a view of activities that you want to be involved in, a telephone, a loud stereo, a TV, and a talkative friend. Pretty much anywhere in your dorm is a bad place to study.

Remember, you’re trying to train your brain to go into study mode every time you enter this space. So, don’t do anything else in your study temple but study. Some good candidates for study temples: libraries, wilderness areas, and study rooms/carrels.

5. Budget your time. Adequate study takes time and won’t usually happen accidentally. This means you’ve got to keep a planner, schedule in times to study, and stick to your schedule.

Having a consistent study schedule, like having a consistent study temple, helps your brain get used to studying intensely at certain times. This makes it easier for your brain to absorb maximum amounts of information.

The human brain is a powerful thing, and there’s a lot you can do to unlock its potential. What do you do to get the most out of your studying? Any tips for us? Let us know below…

A new year brings new opportunity. People want to kick their bad habits. Some people want to change the world. The old man with the toga gets kicked out, replaced by the baby. You know, second chances and all that good stuff. If you find yourself in a career that has you dissatisfied, maybe because of low pay, lack of growth potential, or toxic environment, you may be thinking this is the year for a new career.

Depending on how far along you are in your career, jumping to a new career might be a big step for you. Switching careers might mean a significant pay cut. It might mean going back to school. It might mean moving to a new area. It might mean returning to square one, where you are the underling and you know nothing. What I’m trying to say is, moving to a new career is a big jump and should be decided on only after thorough research and soul-searching.

How do you know if you should start a new career? Dozens of questions could follow to answer this question. To start off, consider the following three questions:

1. What do I want? Too few people ask themselves what job they want to do, what they could do everyday and feel satisfied and engaged, or what their life’s passion is. The lucky ones are passionate about the big ticket jobs, like i-banking, entrepreneurship, or the law. Too many of us are truly passionate about things that are not considered secure or profitable.

Don’t get me wrong. Money is very important. But it isn’t the only consideration. I’ve harped on this before but only because it is regrettably true. Too many people pursue careers they have no passion for because of concerns over money. They mistakenly believe that the joy of being financially secure will replace the boredom and resulting mediocrity of being in a career that puts you to sleep.

A mentor of mine, a very rich one at that, once admonished me to work in whatever field I am passionate about. His words were, "Passion breeds excellence. If you do what you love, you will move up, be noticed, and make a contribution to the world. If you don’t do what you love, you will always be mediocre and second-rate." Consider that advice. "Pragmatism" tells us to take whatever we can get, give up what we love for security. It tells us passion won’t put food on the table or a roof overhead. But this so-called "pragmatic" viewpoint, a relic of the industrial age, includes one sadly false presumption: that one cannot follow one’s passion and make enough money to pay the bills. We live in the information age. Never has anyone been so able to take whatever their passion is and turn it into a very good living. The choice now is not passion versus security; it is passion versus mediocrity.

If you really want to move beyond just surviving from one unfulfilling job to the next and you really want to shine, consider this question first and consider it carefully. Remember: passion breeds excellence.

2. What do I need? Speaking of pragmatism, bills need to be paid, food does need to be provided, and shelter and health is preferrable. So, after zeroing in on what you are passionate about, it’s time to ask yourself what basic needs you need to have covered. This may mean determining how much you need to make at a minimum. It may also mean determining family obligations. Ask yourself what you can survive on and what you can really do.

By way of caution, be careful not to pad your projected budget with too many luxury items. For example, you may be budgeting several hundred dollars for a new Coach handbag. You may be used to taking Tahitian vacations every month to restore your tan. As long as you consider these items a necessity, you will find yourself tied down. Be willing to give these up (at least temporarily), and you may find you have more flexibility than you think. That career in ice sculpting may be closer than you think.

Of course, you may find that your needs eclipse what you can make in your dream job. If, for example, you’ve always loved collecting and arranging acorn tops into geometric patterns, but you’ve got a wife and seven kids to provide for, following your passion full-time might not be a responsible course of action. That does not mean, however, that you can’t begin working on your acorns on a part-time basis. A lot of people who have gotten into doing jobs they love have accomplished this by building it gradually on the side until it is big enough to sustain their lifestyle.

Be realistic about your needs and look for opportunities to work toward your passion.

3. When is the best time? Timing is everything. Deciding what you love to do does not necessarily make this the perfect time to make the jump. You need to take a variety of factors into consideration. Do you have the right educational basis or do you need to go back for some training? Do you have a solid financial position to work from? Do you have the personal contacts and relationships you need to make it work? Do you need an extra year or so to get ready? Is there an opportunity currently available that will disappear if you wait too long?

Carefully plot out your timetable, decide where your window of opportunity will be, and go for it.

Here’s wishing you the best in your career progress in 2008. If you make it big as the prime provider of acorn decor, Classes and Careers does accept donations and don’t say I never gave you anything.

Some things in life are so hyped that, when you finally experience them, they are a big letdown.

For example, when rumors that Star Wars: Episode One was finally being produced after a decade and a half of waiting and speculating, the planet exploded with the chatter of millions of fans. The seeds last planted with The Return of the Jedi had germinated and sprouted fruit far beyond creator George Lucas’ control or ability. When the movie was released, those same rabid fans rushed the theaters, only to emerge two hours later mostly disappointed. “The acting was terrible,” they said, “Too many special effects. Bad accents. Too much Jar Jar Binks. No Han Solo. Etc. etc. etc…”

The fact of the matter was, with all the build-up, all of the hype and fantasizing, no movie would have measured up to expectations.

So, you’re probably wondering what this has to do with school or careers, which is what we usually write about here. I assure you I am getting to a point, and the point is this: holiday bonuses, like the Phantom Menace, will almost always fail to meet expectations. You work all year-long for that proverbial carrot and, when you finally get it in your hands, the darned thing looks so… tiny.

My advice to those disappointed throngs out there: don’t depend on or think about the bonus. To rely on the holiday bonus is the path to frustration, resentment, and sadness.

All year long, your boss will tell you that the better your performance, the higher your bonus. If you exceed these goals and make the company a million dollars and find a cure for cancer, they will increase your bonus rate by two percentage points. Your eyes flash with dollar signs, thinking about what you could do with 8, 10, or 12 percent of your annual pay. You could get little Timmy those braces he so badly needs. You could take that trip to Aruba. You could build that deck. So many possibilities. And so you begin including the bonus in your financial plans for the year.

The year goes on. You are sure you’re exceeding all expectations, creating value, yada yada yada. You’ve already picked out that new car for which you will use your huge bonus as a down payment.

Then comes the day of your performance evaluation, the one which will ultimately determine how large your bonus will be. The boss sits down with you and tells you your performance has been fine. You show room for improvement in proper labeling techniques and some other obscure performance category. So he’s proud to inform you that you qualify for a mid-sized bonus. That’s okay with you. At least it wasn’t the smallest one.

A couple weeks later, the bonus hits your bank account. You’ve had to scrap plans for the new car, but you may still be able to work out a Caribbean cruise. You check your account and have to rub your eyes and squint to make sure you’ve read it right. It may just be your imagination, but it looks like only half of the expected amount made it. You go to the payroll people in disbelief. They inform you that holiday bonuses are taxed at a higher rate than regular pay. No mistake has been made. What you see is what you get.

You head home dejected, feeling duped and angry. There will be no new deck, no cruise. Timmy will have to settle for crooked teeth. You’ll be lucky to be able to pay for those presents you already bought.

But then, of course, if you’ve already received your holiday bonus, you already know exactly what I’m talking about.

To avoid this situation, I advise that you treat the bonus as if it doesn’t exist. Plan and budget without taking that extra pay into consideration. Then, when it comes, you will be happy because it’s just extra money. You didn’t have your hopes up and you weren’t depending on it.

Are you disappointed with your bonus? Do you feel shafted by the boss and those sneaky IRS guys? Gripe below…

"Quit." The word is usually synonymous with giving up, surrendering, or rolling over. In the workplace, however, quitting a job is a pivotal moment in your career progression. It can be done poorly (telling the boss, "You can’t fire me. I QUIT!!!" and then storming out, sobbing like a child) and haunt your track record for the rest of your career. Or it can be done strategically and keep your resume strong and unblemished.

Now that I’ve covered some of the signs that quitting is a good option, I want to share some successful quitting strategies to help those dissatisified employees out there to move smoothly from unpleasant occupations to job bliss:

1. Prepare other options. When you are in a difficult job, everything in you just wants to get out of the situation. The moment you realize the job is a bad thing for you, you really just want to grab your things, collect your last paycheck, and run. But to what would you run? A Caribbean vacation? A month-long marathon of all the Days of Our Lives seasons you’ve missed while working? Then what? Sooner or later your last paycheck would run out, and, frankly, soap operas get pretty repetitive. You need another job to jump into after quitting.

So, if you’re planning on saying sayonara to the workplace, start developing options months in advance. Start sending out resumes, networking, and attending job fairs. This may mean polishing up your interviewing skills or your resume.If you time this right, you will be able to step seamlessly from one job to the other without any interruption in cash flow. Some people like to take a short sabbatical in between jobs to get refreshed and rested and go into their next position with guns blazing. If your pocketbook can bear it, I recommend this.

Also,- and this may seem elementary- be honest with yourself in picking your next career move. If you really hated all of the lawyers you dealt with in your last position, think twice about taking that legal secretary position. If accounting work put you into a coma at your last job, be careful about taking any more accounting jobs. In short, do not move from one mistake to another. Do your very best to find a job that will engage your interest and allow you to grow. This will keep you from finding yourself in the same situation a year from now.

2. Patch up old bridges. You may hate your boss. You may firmly believe that they wronged you and you have every right to complain. However, one day, you will apply for bigger and better positions. Hiring managers will want to know about how you really performed at ABC Corporation. They will want to contact that boss you didn’t get along with. And you will want that boss to give you a positive recommendation. Thus, no matter how much you would really like to just rearrange your boss’ dental work, it is in your best interest to repair bridges with them instead of burning them.

All this requires is a mature, professional conversation in which differences are addressed and some level of understanding is reached. This may be difficult for some. Talking with your boss, your arch-nemesis, may seem less pleasurable to you than drinking raw sewage. But you’ve got to take a larger view, be the better person, and initiate the conversation. Otherwise, this person’s unfair opinion of you will continue to haunt your career. Don’t let them have any more power over you. Talk it out and repair those bridges.

3. Finish strong. Once you know the end is near and you really have no allegiance left toward your company, you can just coast, fool around, and make mischief, right? Wrong. The point made in number 2 is also true here. These people will one day tell others what kind of employee you were. Make sure they can give you a favorable report card.

As you are preparing for your departure, be extra helpful. Help managers train your replacement. Speak positively to them of your experience with the company. Get all of your work done. Volunteer to help others. Don’t be caught with idle hands. Make your manager wish they had treated you better by showing what a great asset you are. Keep up your hard work until 5 o’clock on your very last day. At the very least, you will leave knowing that you upheld your part of the bargain. You also leave the opportunity open for your boss to think and speak well of you.