In the last post I told of my struggle that had followed me my whole life – to stay focused, to finish things I started, to realize my goals; classic signs of what today would be referred to as ADD but were – when I was growing up – known as being flaky and ill-behaved. Having struggled through school I had somehow managed to graduate with an undergraduate degree in not one but two disciplines – business and nonprofit management. While I had worked steadily in my chosen profession for many years, recent company layoffs had propelled me to take another look at those goals I had yet to accomplish.

I had always wanted to go back to school and earn my MBA; I felt that there was much more I could do with that degree and it would open doors for me as far as exploring other career options. While my full time job was enough on my plate for many years now I was looking at some downtime during which I could attend school. But I still wanted to be as available and as flexible as possible as I was still seeking out job positions.

The online MBA program was introduced to me by a friend and within a matter of days I had gotten all the information together to apply. I am currently working towards my online MBA and making great strides in really setting out to finish something I started. I am also working with a wonderful doctor who has given me the pharmacological support I have probably needed since I was a kid. All in all, with the changes that I am making in my life I am hoping to come out of what could have been a really devastating situation with a new lease on my future and a desire to move forward.

Popularity: 11% [?]

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I have always had difficulty staying on track; it is a common complaint I have heard from everyone from my elementary school teachers to my superiors at work. I am easily distracted, unable to choose from among the many goals I have established in my head, and I am constantly on the run. I guess if you could go back in time I would have been diagnosed ADD – something that the kids today are identified with through professional evaluation – but in those days you were just told to pay attention. My struggle stayed with me through all the areas of my life and I have to admit that it has taken its toll on my career, as well as my personal relationships.

I’m not sure I would have ever done anything about it if I hadn’t lost my job. Truth be told, I was not laid off because of my inability to focus; the economy forced my company to make many, many layoffs of which I was one. But this downtime – with no job opportunities in the immediate area and plenty of time on my hands – forced me to really look at my situation and where my life was going.

I knew that I really wanted to make some changes in my life and set to work accomplishing – really finishing – those things that had once been so important to me but which, for whatever reason, I had simply lost a passion for along the way. This is when I discovered the online MBA program in which I am currently enrolled.

I had actually finished my undergraduate degree –much to the surprise of everyone who knows me – graduating with a dual degree in business and nonprofit management. And I had parlayed that education into a career where I was content but had not realized my full potential (the story of my life).

While I had always meant to get my MBA I had never followed through and I knew now was the time. With my online MBA program and the desire to make change, I was on my way. To be continued….

Popularity: 11% [?]

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I can remember the time when I was trying to start my family. It was so hard planning around my employer’s work schedule and trainings. Then I started panicking about what time of year would be appropriate to take maternity leave. What I came to find out is that the old adage is very true - while you are busy planning, life happens around you while you aren’t paying attention. Your plan is already written.

I got stuck in a trap of worrying and planning and found myself busy trying to create a perfect plan. Well, that isn’t how life goes, and as much as you try, often the timing is never perfect.

Four years later we finally became parents. My work schedule evened out and I found my employer to be friendly and flexible. I was also trying to obtain my Masters in Education at the same time.

There are so many helpful ways to achieve your degree these days. I found that a majority of my classes were offered in a long distance learning format. Long distance learning can be done in a few ways.

The most popular - something that has been gaining traction for years - is via the internet or what is commonly referred to as online classes.

This option was extremely helpful. There were days where the only time I could study or read was during my child’s nap. I could not drive to a class or get child care so it was great for me. My Masters in Education is now complete via this great online, distance learning process!

Popularity: 10% [?]

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November seems to get here earlier and earlier each and every year. As a family tradition, during the holiday season, some families try and give back to others during this season of giving. It is helpful to give back at all times of the year but during this time of thanks and blessings you feel even more inclined to help others.

It varies from year to year where and whom families decide to help. Sometimes they participate in a walk-a-thon or sometimes they raise funds for a charity. After years of experience doing charity work, some families may find that doing something active is more appropriate or enjoyable for their family, such as planting new shrubs or cleaning up trash by a local park. During certain years or after a natural disaster, some families may decide to help a specific family that is in need, such as former victims of Hurricane Katrina. Families who have experienced such tragedy have since relocated to new areas for a fresh start.

To provide an example of helping a family in need, a husband was the primary breadwinner for his family and he was recently injured. The family has since suffered some financial set backs. The two children were experiencing all the new things that come along with relocating. In addition, the holidays caused them to miss their old friends.

The mother was struggling to finish her online business degree and keep the house afloat. Recently their home was in desperate need of repairs that they could not afford. The small community in which they had resided decided to chip in and help defer the costs and efforts of this project.

Families made trips to the local hardware stores to buy the needed items and get to work on the needed repairs. By showing this family that they are welcome and that the community is truly sympathetic towards all of their hardships and struggles, maybe that simple step of kindness can provide that family with a smile and thankfulness for this season.

Popularity: 9% [?]

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I was what you would call the average college girl in the sixties; there to have fun and learn something but – at the core of it all – mostly to find a husband. I won’t say it’s pretty and it’s certainly something I don’t condone (nor did I as my first daughter went off to college herself) but it was the way of the world for most women in those times and I was no different. I didn’t fancy myself a professional woman with something to offer the business world; I wanted a husband, a family, and a house to call my own. Essentially I got everything I wanted, meeting my husband midway through my first year at school. By the following year I had dropped out of college and set up house; we got married and he continued on to earn his degree. By the time he graduated we were expecting our first child.

I do not in any way regret my life or the choices that I made but I do recognize that I missed the opportunity to really explore what I liked – what I was good at – and that age and that time is something I can never get back. But today, I am a much different person and I am just now exploring those things that make me happiest and what direction would make me fulfilled as a person – not just as a mother and a wife.

The most wonderful gift to me in this regard has been online learning. Through the Internet I was able to enroll in an online business degree program through which I can complete all of my classes; working at my own pace and at the times that are most convenient for me. I no longer have small children at home but I do work a part time job and this method of learning has fit so nicely into my routine.

When I finally graduate with my online business degree the sense of accomplishment that I will feel is something that I can only now imagine. But I do know this; armed with that degree I will feel like I finally did something that was just for me.

Popularity: 8% [?]

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Can you remember the time in your life where summers seemed to last forever and the thought of turning thirty seemed a million years away? Well, so much sooner than later, you wake up and the summers now seem to fly past you in a whirlwind, while thirty has gone and went only to leave you feeling like you really do not know where the time has gone!

Reaching certain milestones in our lives forces us to take a long hard look at the decisions we have made for ourselves, such as relationships, family, and career choices. It is truly a frightening endeavor to wake up in your thirties and realize that you are miserable at your current job and need to make a change immediately. Many adults are now taking the plunge to go back to school and deciding to obtain an education so that they can seek employment better geared toward their interests.

Individuals that find an interest in computers and want to turn their interest into a career can start to take comfort in knowing that there are options available. An online IT degree can be obtained through the computer and in the comfort of your own home. Many adults need to continue their current employment in order to sustain a steady income, but through classes via the internet, adults looking to make a change can obtain an online IT degree, nonprofit management, online business degree, masters in education and online MBA during evening or weekend hours.

By researching online schools and distance learning centers through the internet, adults looking to change their careers can decide on their specific degree, class schedules, as well as financing the cost of going back to school.

By obtaining an online IT degree at home and during flexible hours, adults can be more relaxed and better able to succeed in their classes. They will be one step closer to obtaining their degree and that much faster in obtaining the job of their dreams.

Popularity: 10% [?]

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I am a teacher and as such I am afforded the same vacation time as my students in most cases. Which means that when my kids are off in the summer, so am I; and when they are off for the winter break I am as well. For teachers, this time typically allows them to attend to their own responsibilities in their home. And for many the summer break means another job that they take to make ends meet during this time off from the classroom. For me, my vacations have always been just that – time to take off and enjoy the company of my family and friends. But this winter break I am actually considering doing something a little out of the ordinary; starting my work towards my Masters in Education.

I have to say that I have always wanted to do down this road toward my Masters degree but every time that I got close to making a commitment in years’ past something would always stop me. The schedule was so tight – between my work hours and the hours I would need to commit to driving down to school and spending the time in class (not to mention the hours I would need at home to study and complete my work) that there was not one inch left for error. So while I really did want to get moving towards my Masters in Education, I knew that I would very quickly be derailed.

This was before I learned about how much online degree programs have grown over the years. What used to be a viable, but not attractive, option has blossomed into a full blown opportunity for students to earn their degrees through highly reputable schools. Everything from an online IT degree to an online MBA can be completed through the Internet and I, for one, am finally taking advantage of this opportunity. I will be starting my online Masters in Education program in just a few short weeks; finally, I’m on my way!

Popularity: 10% [?]

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No one goes into nonprofit expecting to make a lot of money; they go into with a desire to make a difference and do something about which they are passionate. This does not in any way mean, however, that it is any less of a viable career choice and one that requires enormous tenacity, across the board experience, and an education in a variety of disciplines. In fact, there are degree programs offered in nonprofit management that will give those who are interested in such a career the ability to focus on the many components inherent in such a job including fundraising, financial management, community outreach, governmental study, and the like.

Interestingly enough, there are a great number of people who find themselves in the career of nonprofit management because of where their lives have taken them; not because of the education they received. And yet, as they move forward in their career and choose to take on bigger roles with more recognizable organizations, they may find themselves wanting that degree to help sharpen their skills and propel them on their path within this career.

While in the past, going back to school for nonprofit management or any other degree for that matter would have required juggling a crazy schedule or taking a leave of absence from work, today, through online programs, students are able to keep many more balls in the air because of the flexibility offered by online study.

Today’s online programs for nonprofit management offer students the ability to continue with their place of employment and still make headway on their course of study. With just an Internet connection, acceptance into a reputable online program, and the desire to earn a degree, students in many facets of study can balance it all and reap the many rewards.

Popularity: 9% [?]

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When I left college in my twenties I was about twelve credits shy of my degree. Everyone around me told me I was crazy but the truth was that I had officially run out of money and I was offered a job with a great company. My plan was to work for a bit, save up the money I needed and finish school at night. Of course, now I laugh at how naïve I was; so much can happen between our planning and the reality that life brings us.

I loved my job and excelled quickly and when I thought of going back to school I could just not imagine how I would swing the schedule. I was already exhausted and working a lot of overtime hours. How would I be able to commit to attending classes at night when I had so much on my plate already? Fast forward ten years later and I was still saying the same thing except now I had two kids to consider as well. But little did I know how much change this past decade had meant in the world of education.

I quickly discovered that the Internet was indeed a solid partner in the world of education. It was no longer the “Wild West” days of online education. Today, students of all calibers, at all different stages of their education, and pursuing all types of degrees can just as easily find what they are looking for online as they can in a traditional campus setting. Everything from a degree in nonprofit management to a Masters in education can be found online where the schedule is on us and where students can take advantage of a copious amount of flexibility.

I start my online business degree program this week to finish up my schooling finally. And how knows? When I’m done I may just move on to an online MBA!

Popularity: 8% [?]

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Last May I graduated from college with my undergraduate degree in Elementary Education. Like the rest of my graduating class from my major, I set out immediately to find an open position within the school districts in which I was interested. I had particularly enjoyed the district where I had completed my student teaching but already knew there were no openings for the present school year. So armed with their recommendations I pursued other districts where I knew I could possibly be a good fit.

And, like many new teachers in my position, I quickly found September and the new school year starting without me as I had to yet to find a position for which I would be most appropriate. I admit that I was very discouraged and didn’t know quite what to do with myself. I was working a part-time job that allowed time for my full-time job search but beyond that I was essentially sitting around waiting for my career to begin.

That’s when I discovered the opportunity to continue my education by pursuing a Masters in Education online! I had considered continuing on for my Master’s degree but was more concerned with getting a job more than anything else. Now that I was waiting for my opportunity to arrive, I figured that I could use the time to pursue my Masters in Education and do so in a way that gave me the most flexibility.

After all, there was still my part time job to consider; as well as the fact that I had signed up to be a substitute teacher and had already received a number of calls. The online Masters in Education program allows me to do my work from my home computer at times that are most convenient for me so that I don’t have to miss out on anything and can still feel like I’m making progress in my career.

Popularity: 23% [?]

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