Accounting online

By: Denton Krypps

Perhaps you are starting the process of finding the right college to attend. You want to hurry up and graduate high school and get out of the house. You picture yourself at an amazing college surrounding by new friends and having lots of fun. Hopefully that will become true for you, but before it does, there is one main thing standing in your way: an application.

Application. Just the sound of that word makes some people nervous or overwhelmed. The thought of filling out papers that attempt to sell you and your abilities sounds daunting to some. Take heart, there are a few basic things to know about the application process that will help to set your mind at ease.

Filling out an application perfectly is important, but it is not even the first thing to consider. Before you start filling one or many out, there are a few things to think about. If you are wanting to attend college there are many questions to ask yourself as the search begins. What do you hope to study? Where do you want to attend school? Does it need to be in your home town or your home state, or can it be anywhere you want to go? How much money can you and your family afford to pay for school? What size and kind of college do you hope to attend? Do you love big universities, or maybe you prefer small private college? These questions are all important to think about before you begin the application process. These questions help you to clarify your goals, but more importantly, they will help you to narrow your search and ultimately apply to a few right schools that fit your needs.

So, once you have decided what kind of schools you want to attend, don’t reach for some applications and start filling them out just yet. Instead, it is time to research. I know, you hate the sound of that word, but this is an important step. Get online or go to a local library and take some time to find schools that meet your ideal criteria. Do not just apply to the same schools your friends hope to attend. If you want a small school in your home state that offers a teaching program, then you can narrow your search to find only schools that fit those demands.

Now, when you have three or four schools in mind that seem like the kinds of schools you might like to attend, let the application process begin. It will not be as hard as you think if you are prepared and organized to fill out the appliations well. Gather any materials you might need and devote an entire afternoon to the job. Read through each application carefully before you begin to make sure you understand the questions and can provide all of the required information. Go through the application and answer the questions thoroughly and well. Look the application over once more at the end, just to be sure. Check for spelling errors and make any necessary corrections.

When you are finished with each application simply mail it to the school and wait for their reply. And congratulations! Your perfect college is now a step closer to becoming a reality.

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By: Triston Huntsmin

There are so many things to be learned about the world. Take a library for example. Think about how many different subjects there are to be studied and learned through the books on the library shelves. You could start reading a book today and still be reading months or years from now. Or consider how much you could learn about something as simple as your favorite flower. Many books have been written and hundreds of websites have been created about that kind of flower alone. There is a complexity to your favorite flower that makes learning about it take longer than you’d first think. Whether you are eight or seventy-eight, continuing education is important for you.

Continuing education does not just mean that you move on to college after high school or that you pursue a graduate degree after completing college. Basically, continuing education means to continue learning. Continuing education happens as we become curious people who care about the ourselves, others, and the world. When we are curious about something it will inspire us to learn about it. Continuing education is simply about becoming a lifelong learner, it is about never being satisfied with the amount of knowledge we have but always pursuing something new.

Think about ways to make continuing education a consistent part of your life. What things are you curious about? Are there things you have always wondered about? Perhaps you would like to know more about the history of the automobile or about the person who invented blue jeans. Allow yourself to wonder things like this, but do not let yourself stop with just wondering. Continuing education means taking the time to study and learn about these and other things.

Continuing education can be as simple as committing to read one book per month for the rest of your life. Think about how much you could learn by reading books on different subjects for the rest of your life. Or, continuing education can be enrolling in a class at a local college just for fun. Have you always wanted to learn about European history? Enroll in a class about it just for your own benefit.

Whatever continuing education means for your life, just do it. You will be glad that you made it a priority to keep learning, and you will be surprised about how little you already know. Once you begin continuing education you will never be able to stop, and that is exactly the point.

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By: Devin Yeo

There’s really nothing more important in your college application than the strength of your academics. Unlike essays and the SATs which can be polished in several weeks, the transcript is a culmination of four years of academic work you did in high school. There’s little you can do to change your academic record. That is why admissions officers will always turn to the transcript before anything else. After all, to get an idea of how you will perform next time in college, it’s only logical to assess how you’ve been performing so far.

What courses you take in high school and what grades you get will determine where you end up in September. When colleges look at your folder, the first thing they will see is your transcript. “Has this student challenged herself?” “Are his grades showing an upward trend, declining, or stagnant?” Challenged means taking the toughest courses you can handle.

Please bear in mind that when while you are encouraged to go for the most demanding schedule, you must be able to do well. No point taking the toughest courses if it eats into your social and extra curricular activities. Admissions officers can see that you’re trying too hard, and it may instead work against your favor in the college admissions process.

“Is it better to get a B in the Advanced Placement class or an A in the regular class?”

Not surprisingly, this question gets asked a lot of times. Of course, the best thing would be to get an A in the AP class. But seriously, admissions officers would rather you get a B in the AP class. AP classes are much tougher than regular ones, and getting a B – despite the grade itself – shows that you can handle tough workloads.

Just think about it, if A was so important, then every student would try to pad his and her transcript with courses like Getting Slim for the 21st Century just so they could fatten their GPA. That is why grades alone are not enough.

An important thing to note here is that while colleges consider grades, they also consider your performance relative to your classmates. That is where class rank comes in. Class ranks help colleges determine whether the C you got in Calculus is a result of slacking on your part, or a really strict marking system. If your school does not rank, don’t despair. Colleges are adept enough at coming up with a ranking for you based on your school profile and academic trend in your school report.

For example, my school does not rank. But my guidance counselor was able to predict my rank as if there was a ranking system, by looking at the performance of my peers in my class that year. So she will write something like “Top 5% of the class this year” for her students. Even if your school policy forbids ranking – as mine do – your transcript can still tell a great deal about what kind of challenges you went through in high school.

Know Your Goals

You academic preparation should also reflect your goals. What kind of school do you want to go to? If you are eyeing for highly selective colleges, then you should take as many AP classes as you can; again, without harming your grades or extra curricular activities.

At the Ivy Leagues and its cousins, you’d probably need all the As you can get from AP classes to have a shot. These academic behemoths are so competitive that a B might (read: I said might because it will still ultimately depend on your overall application strength) not work in your favor.

On the other hand, large state universities use a different rule. These schools attract tens of thousands of applications each year and so they often rely on grades and test scores to make decisions. Here GPA would be more important than the level of courses. In other words, how tough your course selection is isn’t necessary, as long as they are college preparatory.

“What if my school does not offer AP courses?”

Don’t fret. Designing the curriculum is the responsibility of your school; your job is to take the most challenging ones available. If your school doesn’t offer AP English, and every senior takes regular English classes, then yes, that is the most rigorous one. If you come from a really competitive high school, you will be evaluated based on the school’s curriculum. Even if you rank near the bottom, there are some schools who will love to take you in since you come from a ‘strong’ school.

But if your high school isn’t so tough, then it may be more important for you to rank near the top.

A really good way to stand out in a selective pool is to go beyond what your school has to offer. This means doing things that are otherwise not offered in your school. If you’ve studied all the physics courses in school, try taking up advanced courses at a local college. If you love maths and finished calculus in junior year, work with a professor to do research into multivariable equations. These actions show adcoms that you are intellectually curious and always ready to learn new things – a plus point in the admissions process.

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By: Kirstine Pallette

All parents want their children to grow up having lots of fun. Parents provide opportunities for their kids to participtate in sports and clubs of all kinds. If they are able, parents fill their home with toys and games to keep their children entertained and happy with things that are safe for kids to do. Parents should, however, see to it that their children have more than just fun. Childhood should be a time filled with learning and trying new things. Parents can combine their child’s desire for fun with their need for learning by choosing educational games.

Educational games are great because they are just what their name suggests: games that provide children with fun and promote their education at the same time. Parents who take seriously their responsibility to help their children learn new things and grow in important knowledge will be pleased to know that educational games are becoming increasingly available and popoular for kids of all ages.

Think about your children’s ages and the unique educational needs they currently have. A three year old should be learning different things than an eight year old. If you are unsure of what educational games to buy for your kids, do a little research to see what kinds of needs your kids have and then find educational games to fit those needs. Talk to your children’s teachers to get good ideas of the needs that each of your kids have. Teachers will likely be able to suggest specific skills and goals that you can work on at home.

Educational games are a great way for parents to get involved in educating their children. Consider substituting educational games instead of a sporting event or an after school club that your kids are involved in. Find ways to balance the things your kids love to do with the things your kids need to be learning. In no time you may find that your kids choose educational games on their own once their learn how fun the games can be. It is a great thing when kids begin to request that educational games be a part of family time or a game night. Families can spend hours of quality time together laughing as they learn.

You can find educational games at many stores or online. Many companies are creating a wide variety of educational games for every budget. The next time you are tempted to pick up the latest video game for your child or to enroll them in an after school club, consider instead teaching your children to love learning by purchasing educational games for them.

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By: Sawyer Theron

Do you enjoy teaching? Do you like to sit with your child and help them learn to read. Do you enjoy putting puzzles together or going on trips to discover something new?

For parents who believe that home schooling is a valid way to educate your children, you may be able to become a teacher. This will allow you achieve your desire to be a teacher but also be responsible for your child’s education.

As a home schooling parent you have the flexibility to teach the child in alternative and different ways. You are not regulate to teaching with the typical and normal set rules and regulations of the typical school system.

Additionally the parent is able to incorporate their own religious and, ethical and moral beliefs into the teaching curriculum. As the parent you can shape the values the child learns at home and not through the typical schools.

You should realize that it is a great responsibility to handle your child’s education. Many parents believe they are not able to teach since they do not have degrees or certificates in teaching. This is not necessarily the case as you can have tutors instruct your child with subjects that you are not comfortable with.

These tips are some that you can use in order to become a good home school teacher:

1. Have a desire to teach your children

You do not need a specific teaching certificate in order to become a home school teacher. What you need to have is the desire to teach your children. Many parents think that they must experience being a teacher or have a teaching certificate. This is not the case at all. Every parent has something to offer in the education of their children.

2. You have to believe that you and your child can home school.

Teaching your children how to learn things and how to achieve something in life will all be put to waste if you will not believe that your children can definitely achieve something and be successful. In this way, you will be able to teach things that you believe your child can do very well.

3. Understand your child’s needs.

In order to be a home school teacher and in order to ensure quality education, it is best that do the research and gain a good understanding of home schooling.

Being a home school teacher does not necessarily mean you have to do what teachers do in other schools because learning in a typical school is different from home schooling. What is important is that you should have the desire and interest to teach your children. Any parent can be an effective teacher to their children.

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By: Madison Lockwood

Whether you teach high school physics or college level English, your own personal website can not only help your students better understand the material but make your life easier at the same time. Even if your institution provides for you to have your own website, they may not give you enough room to really do with it what you need to. Use this site for basic information and link to your personal website where you will have more freedom to give your students the information they need.

Update homework assignments. Sometimes, inclement weather or emergencies may keep you or your students out of the classroom. Rather than lose whole class periods, you can use your website to update your students on what to expect. Was an important paper due that day? Give an extension or have them email it or upload it to your site. Will the reading for that day be discussed the next time the class meets or should they go ahead and do the next reading? Also, if there is a typo or a question that you are getting about the homework assignment from many students, you can address the concern on your website.

Answer questions one time only. You may have two sections of the same class or students who weren’t listening or didn’t show up the first 7,000 times the question was asked. To make things simple, you can have a frequently asked questions page for class expectations and rules and a forum for students to ask questions where other students can refer first before asking you again.

Notes and review sheets. Especially for high-schoolers, notes for your class may help them to not only understand the material, but learn how to take good, thorough notes. Also good for those who miss class. Review sheets, too, will help your class hone in on the topics they should focus on for major exams or projects.

Link to research and interactive examples. Often the top 10% and the bottom 10% of the class miss out on the extra attention they need. With a website, you can provide interactive learning activities, extra worksheets to practice with, and further information for those who want to learn more about the background of the subject or explore beyond the limits of the class. These are good for offering extra credit, as well.

No matter what it is that motivates you to build your own website, as a teacher, it will be easier for you reach your students more efficiently and minimize at-home phone calls, excuses, and panicked students. Email, of course, will come with your web site and you can give different classes different email addresses to reach you in order to better organize your desk or assign a certain email address for high priority or turning in assignments.

You can also include pages that are inaccessible to the students for your own personal organization. Grades, attendance, notes to yourself on projects, resources, lecture notes, et cetera can all be kept on your website, accessible to you at any time. As a teacher, a personal website is not just a luxury. Once you build yours, you will wonder how you ever managed without it.

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By: Kirstine Pallette

Most people have probably never considered what life is like for children and teens who attend a boarding school rather than a traditional school.

Basically, a boarding school is one where the students not only go to school on campus but they also live on campus in a dormitory setting. It is sort of like college for younger students. Can you imagine being six or seven years old and living not with a family but instead with several other kids your own age? Each child either has a room of their own or perhaps shares a room with another child around their same age. Every boarding school has house parents or dorm parents that bring supervision to the children and teens and that provide parent-like comfort and safety.

Many young children cannot even handle going away from home for a week of summer camp. Children who attend a boarding school must learn quickly how to adjust to life without parents because they rarely get to go home and see their families throughout the year. Often children begin attending boarding school at the beginning of their schooling and they remain in boarding school until they complete high school. Some may go home for a Christmas holiday or for a visit in the summer months, but rarely do boarding school students have consistent interaction with their families.

Why would parents send their children to a boarding school? That is a legitimate question that has many answers. Some parents that work overseas or that travel frequently choose to put their children in boarding school because they know how inconsistent they will be in parenting or in providing for the needs of their kids. Other parents choose boarding school for their children as a way for them to experience more of the world and to learn how to interact with diverse people from a young age. Still other parents put their children and teens in boarding school if they are having trouble disciplining their kids or keeping them out of trouble. Boarding school can be a great place for kids to learn responsibility and discipline.

Attending a boarding school produces mixed reactions among children and teens. Many enjoy the opportunity to live with their friends and to enjoy the freedoms of not being with their parents all the time. For students who began attending boarding school at a young age, many enjoy their lives because they do not know any different. Of course there are always students who get homesick or who would prefer to live with their parents and attend a regular school.

Regardless of the pros or cons of attending a boarding school, boarding school really is a world of its own.

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By: Wendy Betterini

We don’t often think about the powerful effect our words and actions can have on others, but every now and then, the universe decides to show us.

This week, I had a profound experience at my local supermarket. It was a sunny Saturday afternoon, and the store was crowded. So much so that I almost didn’t go in when I saw the parking lot full of cars. I was tempted to leave and resume my normal weekday shopping schedule the following week, but since I really needed groceries and was already there, I figured I might as well get it over with.

As I made my way through the crowded aisles, I passed a man who looked familiar. I paused, pretending to read the label on a can of cat food as I observed him with occasional sideways glances. He seemed to hold a place of importance in my memory, though I couldn’t quite grasp when or where. After several minutes, I caught a remembered whiff of chalk dust and a nostalgic echo of his voice booming out across a quiet classroom, and it all came flooding back to me. He was Mr. Blaise, my high school Creative Writing teacher!

Happiness flooded my heart, and I timidly approached him and introduced myself as one of his former students. He seemed genuinely glad to see me, but his features transformed into an expression of surprised pleasure as I thanked him for the profound impact he’d had on my life.

Back in 1985, I was a shy, insecure girl of sixteen when I entered Mr. Blaise’s classroom. Being a writer was my biggest dream, but I didn’t have a lot of confidence in myself. I had shown some of my writing to family members, but it took weeks of agony and anxiety to share my work with Mr. Blaise. I had nightmares that he would laugh at me and tell me to “get a real job.” Of course, he did no such thing. He encouraged me, shared helpful pointers about how I could improve my writing, and then shocked me by telling me that I had the talent to create a successful career as a writer, if that’s what I wanted to do.

I’m sure he had no idea how powerful his words were to me at the time. He was just doing what a good teacher does; providing knowledge and guidance to a young, impressionable mind. However, his attention and encouragement meant the world to me. He was one of the first people who ever took my writing seriously, rather than making cutesy comments and treating it like a hobby I’d soon grow out of. He was the first person who gave me hope that my dream was possible. Because of him, I began to believe in myself, for the first time ever.

When I related all of this to him in the supermarket, I could tell he was overcome with surprise. He obviously had no idea how important his words were to me, and that his encouragement would spur me on to follow my dream, and actually be successful with the creation of it.

After we parted in the supermarket, I marveled at the way the universe had orchestrated this little meeting between Mr. Blaise and I, and I pondered the reasons for it. I believe there are very few accidents in this world, and more often there are reasons behind seeming “coincidences.” Perhaps Mr. Blaise was feeling burned out on teaching after more than 30 years in the same role, and my words will inspire him to continue on with renewed passion. Perhaps he was struggling with the educational bureaucracy and feeling restricted in his ability to reach his students. Or maybe I simply added a little boost to his mood so he could enjoy a happy Saturday afternoon with his family. I’ll probably never know for sure.

This experience opened my eyes to the powerful ways we can serve as angels for each other. Maybe you have someone like Mr. Blaise in your own life, someone who encouraged you, strengthened your belief in yourself, and helped you to become who you are today. If you can’t reach them to thank them personally, the second-best way to honor them is to do the same thing for others.

Whether your craft is writing, singing, teaching, or working as a dishwasher, you have the ability to reach out and make a difference in the lives of the people you encounter daily. It might be nothing more than a few kind words uttered when someone is at their lowest, or helping to build up the confidence of a shy child. Though it seems like a small effort on your part, it might mean the world to the person receiving your attention and encouragement.

My greatest advice to you is: don’t hold back. When you feel moved to share with someone, do it. When you appreciate what someone has done for you, tell them. You just never know what can happen, the people you can touch, the lives you can change. And don’t be surprised if, someday, someone approaches you and says, “Thank you.”

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By: Hallidae Thomason

All children have to attend school. If the schools in your area are less than ideal it can seem like there are no options for your children. Consider the benefits of Christian education for your children. You might just want to consider this alternative to the public school system in your area. Choosing to enroll your children in Christian education can be a success. Christian schools often provide smaller class sizes so that children get more individual attention. And since getting a solid education is the main reason to go to school, having more individual attention and help is vital to a successful school career.

Along with providing small class sizes, the smaller student population found in most Christian education settings allows children the ability to interact with peers on a more personal level. Often children and students are able to get to know one another better and form lasting friendships in the smaller setting. Knowing that your children are growing up surrounded by other healthy and growing kids should be a relief and a comfort for parents.

Christian education provides children the ability to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities that they might not have the opportunity to participate in at larger public schools because of the competition. Students in Christian education have opportunities to become well rounded students that have explored sports, drama and other activities and who have learned what they do and do not enjoy. It is important during the childhood and teenage years that students are exposed to a wide range of activities. Often in public school settings students are only able to pick one sport or one activity to spend time on.

Parents whose children receive a Christian education can usually be sure that their students are being taught from a truthful and solid perspective. While taking into consideration every perspective, Christian education is able to teach students to think critically for themselves and to determine truths about the way life really is and about the best ways to live. What a comfort in our day to know that your children are being taught by people who care deeply about the development of their character, their morals and their hearts.

The teachers and educators of Christian education are perhaps the best benefit of choosing Christian education for your family. People who have chosen to work in Christian education have decided to do so because they believe in it. They believe that the training up of children is necessary and something to be done carefully and with love. They believe that educating children well is their calling and so they pour themselves into teaching with all their hearts. You can be sure that your childrens’ teachers want what is best for them and that they will push your children to do their very best in school. What more can a parent ask for?

So, consider the option of Christian education for your children. Consider the benefits of training your children in a smaller classroom setting with committed teachers and a variety of opportunities to gain friendships and to participate in a wide variety of experiences. See if Christian education just might be right for the needs of your family.

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By: Chad Criswell

Playing your saxophone in tune with others in your band requires much more than simply playing a reference note into a tuner and adjusting the mouthpiece on the instrument. In order to really understand the tuning process and how best to tune your saxophone it helps to know the physics behind the sound that you produce while playing. When we are talking about physics and the saxophone we are dealing in the realm of invisible vibrations called sound waves.

To better understand these sound waves it helps to think about a guitar string. When you pluck a note on a guitar the string vibrates at a specific rate or “frequency.” The length of this string dictates what frequency the string will vibrate at. By moving your finger up and down the fretboard you can change the pitch to any of a dozen or so pitches. Now think about a fretless guitar. Instead of a dozen pitches you could potentially have hundreds of pitches, each very slightly different that the other. Saxphones behave in this same way but use a vibrating column of air instead of a vibrating string.

When you add or subtract fingers on the saxophone you are changing the overall length of the tube, creating shorter or longer sound waves in the process. Many things can affect this resultant wave. A key that is not adjusted properly can partially close over an open hole causing all notes above that key to be slightly flat. Likewise a key that is left open when it should be closed can make other notes out of tune or at the very least sound less focused.

Two saxophones that are not perfectly tuned to each other will always vibrate at different frequencies even when playing the same note. When two sound waves of the exact same frequency are played together they reinforce each other creating a stronger, more pleasing overall sound. When two pitches are slightly out of tune they occasionally collide with each other causing a disturbance in the combined wave form. This phenomena creates audible “beats” or bumps in what the listener hears. Each bump in the combined sound is literally the two sound waves slamming into each other. It is often easier to understand this process by seeing it visually. Take a look at the examples shown at http://library.thinkquest.org/19537/Physics.html.

As a saxophone player it should be your goal to learn how to play your instrument in perfect tune. Unfortunately this requires more than simply tuning your concert A or B-flat. Now that you know a little about the physics of sound however, you can begin to understand the inherent pitch problems of your saxophone and relate this to your overall performance and study routine.

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