Making Friends While Living in a College Dorm

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The friends that you meet while you are living in the dorm at college are the ones that you will likely have the rest of your college life. Some of them will even still be your friend throughout your life. The ones that are made in the dorm will most likely be your main group of friends even if you make others along the way.

A number of factors attribute to this. The first factor is because most college students are living away from their parents for the first time and are in a new environment. Since most of the other people around are going through a similar experience, it makes it easier for everyone to relate to each other. For the entire school year you will have the same group of people surrounding you. That will make it likely that you are going to establish a relationship with those people.

There are several ways to enhance the likelihood of meeting new friends while living in the dorm. Leaving your dorm room door open is like saying come on in a visit for awhile. This will leave the impression you are open to meeting new people. When you are eating a meal in the dining hall, invite people to eat with you. This is a good way to get to know someone.

You may want to hang out in the common area. While you are there do not forget to wear one of your Michele watches. This is a good way to strike up a conversation. When you are walking down the hall, be sure to say hello and introduce yourself. If you receive a special treat from home be sure to share. This may help ease your adjustment into the dorm life and what college has to offer you.

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Is the Cost of College Worth It?

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College means different things to different people. For some, it is the way they got ahead in life. To others it signified four of the best years of their lives and to some the most miserable. While college is often portrayed as the gateway to success, in these economic times, many people are starting to wonder if it is worth it.

The rising cost of education makes it almost impossible to come out of college without some type of debt. Even if the student is not in debt, then more than likely her parents had to take out loans or have been saving since the child’s birth so she could attend college. When a student needs to take out loans, it leads to the young adult’s life starting out in the red, right away putting the individual at a negative advantage. This, coupled with the fact that many of today’s college graduates fail to gain a viable job upon graduation, adds to the quandary.

Another reason college is gaining detractors is that many feel today’s colleges and universities are more in the business of selling school credits rather than offering educational and enlightening opportunities. The argument against college cannot be brushed off lightly. Many of today’s most successful entrepreneurs failed to graduate college and simply walked away. In fact, some say that college kept them behind of achieving their goals.

If an average public school college education costs somewhere around $75,000, then wouldn’t it be wiser to take that money and parlay it into courses or books that you would truly like to make into your profession? Other options would be investing the funds in a business or even attempting philanthropy.

While college has its skeptics, no one is disputing the fact that the real value of college is the networking opportunities that cannot be found elsewhere. For many, college is worth the investment.

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Types of University Degrees Available Online

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Many people now seek university degrees online to upgrade their skills or to change careers. Increased competitiveness in the job market has reinforced the importance of knowledge management. The current climate demands that employed persons and job seekers alike take advantage of available educational opportunities.

The Appeal of Online Learning
Originally, distance learning was the only channel by which people could study from home. The Internet has facilitated a boom in distance learning and has, in fact, revolutionized the way in which it is done. Now many people explore university degrees online as a first option for the following reasons:

• Flexibility: Courses can often be done at any time of day or night.
• Convenience: Students can access courses and study material from any location that has Internet access, regardless of where they are.
• Lower cost: Online learning is sometimes cheaper since some administrative charges may be lower. Also, because the need to travel to and from classes is non-existent or infrequent, transportation costs are much lower.

Types of Courses Available
There is an online equivalent for almost every course of study in existence. Some of the more popular courses being sought by prospective students include:

• Business administration
• Nursing
• Criminal justice
• Public administration
• Project management
• Information technology

It is possible to obtain Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees at online universities. It is important to realize that not all such courses carry the same level of accreditation. Some online schools are not recognized by the business or academic community. Some due diligence is therefore required on the part of the prospective student to find accredited institutions online.

In fact, many established universities now offer their programs online. It also pays to be aware of what are called diploma mills and online school scams. Either of these can mean incurring serious costs with no educational benefit.

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Signing Up for a Double Major

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College students frequently have a difficult time choosing their majors. They might start their freshman years studying literature only to find that they really love their sociology or psychology class so much that they want to switch. Most schools will allow their students to choose more than one major. Satisfying the requirements of a double major, however, is like completing an Ironman triathlon. It requires lots of hard work and dedication.

Before choosing to pursue a double major, consider the reasons that you want to commit to such an undertaking. Will it help you prepare for a certain career? Will it help you prepare for graduate school? There are lots of reasons that you might want to pursue this course. It is important to make sure, though, that you make the decision for good reasons. Just because you find yourself interested in a subject does not mean that you should major in it. You can always minor in additional subjects or take a few classes to satisfy your curiosity.

Before officially signing up for a double major, take some time to talk to your academic advisor. Many schools require their students to talk to their advisors before taking a double major. Even if your university does not have this requirement, you should still schedule a meeting with our advisor. This will give you the opportunity to learn about the process of completing a double major. Your advisor should have information about what classes you will need to take and how many hours of additional experience you might need to complete your degree.

After talking with your advisor, you should have a better idea of whether you want to commit yourself to pursuing a double major. Depending on your specific interests, this could be a great opportunity for you. Know beforehand, though, that it will take a lot of work.

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