If you are like most of America, you have been holding your breath and waiting to see what happens with the presidential election.  It seems like everyone is holding off on major decisions until they know who is going to take over the white house.  Thankfully we an answer this evening and we can all get back to some kind of normalcy.  That always means that it is time to start making decisions about our lives again.  Have you been considering a college degree? Have you maybe been putting your education off?  If you answered yes to either question, it’s time to start moving forward with your education. Read the rest of this entry »

                                                                                                                 

Choose your top 5 schools and apply for admission

Select a handful of potential schools that you would like to attend, since there is a possibility that you may not into your first, second, or even third choice. If you’re extremely ambitious and would like to apply to as many schools as possible, that can also be beneficial. Keep in mind that many schools require application fees, personal essays, letters of recommendation and transcripts; meaning, costs add up quickly and you could spend a lot of additional time preparing these additional academic requirements. Also remember, you don’t have to enroll with the first school you talk to. Make it a priority to thoroughly research the schools you are interested in.

Financial Aid is available. Apply for it!

Financial Aid, also known as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA, is a federal student aid program from the US department of Education.

You could be eligible if you meet the following requirements:

• You are a US citizen

• You are a high school graduate or a GED holder

• You are not in default on a federal student loan

• You do not owe any money to the government for other grants or loans

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As a member of the military, past or present, you are entitled to certain education benefits. It is a great opportunity for you to advance your education with minimal (if any) out of pocket expense.

Utilize your TA

        Each branch of the military including the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard offer tuition assistance (TA) programs. Depending on the branch, these programs either cover the cost of tuition for approved courses up front, or reimburse the soldier upon successful completion of each class or block of classes. TA can cover as much as $250/credit hour. You may be require to get courses approved in advance through your Education Officer, so be sure to discuss your options with them before you commit to a program. Read the rest of this entry »

                                                                                                                 

There is a consistent trend that students notice in all areas of their academic careers: stress and time constraints. Online courses are no different; you will need to devote a designated amount of time to your academic efforts each day. Understandably, this may seem overwhelming and stressful to the typical student. Fortunately there are many strategies available to help maximize your work time without compromising your spare time. Here are a few suggestions for how to increase and maintain control of your time.

Daily To-Do Lists: Make a list of the tasks that you need to accomplish with an end date. Be sure to list in order of priority, and then check it off as you go.

Get Started: Bite the bullet and start your task(s); whether it’s homework, a project, a take-home test or a paper, you will alleviate a great deal of the anxiety associated with doing it. Even if you still have a long way to go, the project seems much more approachable once it is underway.

Make a Schedule. You will save both time and energy: Make a daily activity schedule and designate specific study times. Be realistic–even if you don’t always stick to the schedule you will become more aware of how you are dividing your time.

Avoid Self-Criticism: Being excessively hard on yourself when you have put work off only perpetuates the problem. Concentrate on what you can improve on next time. Keep in mind that low self-esteem is habitually associated with poor time management.

Find your motivation: We are motivated by the direct consequences of our choices, not by the long-range consequences. Determine what you most enjoy doing and schedule yourself to always study immediately before this activity.

Break it down: Break large projects down into smaller portions and then resolve to carve away at the project one step at a time. Remember that you don’t need to have the whole project rationalized just to start on it! By using this tactic you will avoid feeling overwhelmed and you can keep a schedule that is realistic.

It’s your time: Start a project and only work on it for a predetermined, limited amount of time (10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, etc.). After this time has passed, you can examine your progress and make a decision either to continue working or to switch to a different task. This will help you to build momentum.

For more helpful tips, or to ask us questions, email us at learnmore@edudegreediectory.com

                                                                                                                 

Not sure what to expect in an online degree? Don’t worry because you are not alone. In fact, a lot of people that start online degree programs have very little understanding of what they are getting into. Oftentimes they did not know what questions to ask, or maybe the admissions representative did not provide complete information. More often than not this is an honest mistake, or it may be the case that individuals entering their programs are so excited, they simply forget to ask. In either case, students often enter into their degree programs without proper expectations about what their program entails. This is a short guide of things to expect when you begin an online degree.
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After completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid a student may be selected for a process referred to as Verification. If selected, the student will be notified by the school via mail or phone and asked to complete additional paperwork. When a student first learns that they have been selected for Verification, it typically sends them into a state of panic. Once you understand the process, however, you will see that the Verification process is nothing to worry about. The most common questions associated with verification are:

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Red Flags When Searching for an Online Degree Program

When looking for an online degree program, it is easy to be persuaded to go with the first institution that calls. In the rapidly growing market of online education, there are numerous “diploma mills” that will scam students into essentially buying a degree online. Oftentimes, these institutions will award degrees based off of “life experience.” This essentially means that though you have not done any official classroom learning and may have no actual experience in the field of your desired degree, you can obtain credits through having worked and lived. More often than not, with diploma mills, you are buying a degree which is “earned” simply through living. These diploma mills have inferior curricula and frequently don’t involve any work at all. The degrees they issue also hold next to no weight in the increasingly competitive job market.

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The online college application

What information do you need to give to schools when you apply for admission? Generally online colleges will ask for:
• Personal information - name, address, date of birth, citizenship,
• Educational History and transcript information
• Extra curricular activities- non-academic interests, résumé
• Personal statements - goal statements, essays
• Letters of Recommendation

Not all Admissions applications will be the same; some are as simple as a single sheet of paper on which you answer questions. Other universities will ask that you submit an essay, letters of recommendation, military background information (if applicable) and in some instances, a portfolio of past accomplishments. Be sure to read the application guidelines carefully and contact an admissions counselor if you have any questions. Since the admissions process at different schools varies in both difficulty and time to complete, make sure that you leave yourself enough time to complete the process and don’t hesitate to ask for help from your contact at the college.

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Are you thinking about an online degree? Are you a little unsure about where to start, or maybe you don’t know what questions to ask. If that is the case, we can help. The following are ten questions to ask before you make a final decision about an online college. This list was compiled by an actual veteran admissions adviser and is made up of the most common questions she answers about online colleges and degrees. These are not difficult questions and the admissions staff at any school should be able to answer them easily. This list may help you formulate your own questions so you can chose the right school for you. You can also search for answers to common questions in our “Ask an Admissions Advisor” section, or contact us directly at learnmore@edudegreedirectory.com

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Hello and welcome to Edu Degree Directory. Thanks for taking the time to visit our site. We hope that you have found the information helpful and we want you to know that we are here to answer questions as well. Please feel free to contact us at learnmore@edudegreedirectory.com with questions about our partner schools, specific degree programs, online learning or any other subject related to earning your degree. Please note that your questions as well as our responses will be posted to the site. Submitted questions will have contact information removed to protect your privacy.

We look forward to hearing from you!