Studying Abroad In England Will Provide Students With A Deep Cultural Experience

January 22, 2012

There are plenty of great reasons to choose England as your study abroad location. Our own culture is greatly influenced by items originating in England, such as books or music. If you’re looking to experience cultural difference, but not desiring to spend your whole trip trying to bridge a cultural gap, this is a great location. Predominately English speaking people live here, but what you will experience is far different than what you’re used to. Many years of cultural traditions are embedded in the day to day lives of these people.

Landmarks in England

Most people have heard about the ancient landmark of Stonehenge, which was constructed thousands of years ago. The massive size of the stones leaves visitors to question how humans that long ago could build a structure without the use of modern technology. The purpose of this landmark is said to be for worshiping the sun and the moon.

Get a glimpse of one of the homes belonging to the Queen- the Windsor Castle. Royalty has called this structure home for almost one thousand years. Seeing the castle that has been occupied the longest in Europe will be a wonderful experience for any study abroad student, because it holds an enormous amount of historical significance and is also quite beautiful architecturally.

For people who enjoy going for a good ride, one of the modern marvels in London, England is the London Eye. This is a Ferris wheel that tops the height of any other in the world. You can see for many miles when you reach the peak of this ride, which extends almost five hundred feet into the air. Enjoy it from afar, or get on for a ride that will take you half of an hour.

Famous People from England

Virtually everyone, fan or not, is familiar with the English group The Beatles. They are just one example of talent that is a product of this country. Other more contemporary music groups include the Spice Girls and the Rolling Stones. Shakespeare, still one of the most famous playwrights of all time, called England home. From pop stars to time tested authors, this place has been a source of inspiration to some of the most influential people in history.

Food

A popular English dish that originated in England is called Yorkshire Pudding. This item is a delicious way to accompany a meaty dish with gravy. It’s not actually pudding, either; it’s made from a dough that bakes in the oven, causing it to become more of a bread. Trying a Toad in the Hole will be similar to the Yorkshire Pudding, except this offering has sausage submerged in the batter and baked into the dish.

Posted in: Information Center, International Studies

Nursing Degrees Are Getting Harder To Obtain Every Year

January 21, 2012

Earning nursing degrees is far from being easy. For one thing, admission to nursing schools and programs has always been competitive, but in the past ten years or so it has gotten much more so. There are a few reasons for this. One of the biggest ones is that America is experiencing a severe shortage of nurses.

Currently there are a couple hundred thousand more nursing job openings than qualified nurses to fill them. Another reason is that this current shortage is only the tip of the iceberg. Older people are the biggest users of health care, by far, and America’s population is rapidly aging. Every day, from now to around 2025, ten thousand “Baby Boomers” will move into retirement age every single day. This will add a staggering burden to our healthcare system. Seeing this, many people see nursing as a job offering tremendous financial security (and they’re right). Third, the current recession means many people have lost jobs and are looking for training in an area where they’ll have no trouble finding a job. Nursing fills that bill nicely.

All of this adds up to the perfect storm when it comes to nursing school admissions; it’s always been tough to get into nursing school, it’s been getting tougher for the last ten years, and it’s only going to get more and more difficult for the foreseeable future. Part of the blame also lies with government, at both the state and federal level. These entities knew decades ago that the huge wave of Baby Boomer retirements would lead to a massive burden on our nation’s health care system, and would require many more trained health professionals to deal with, and they knew exactly when it would happen, yet they’ve done little or nothing to address the problem. Government should have gone about funding the creation of many more nursing programs and medical schools to gear up to meet these shortages, but they didn’t. Now it’s a bit too late to start addressing the problem, as it takes years and years to commission, design, build, fund, accredit and staff such schools and programs.

Does this mean that you can’t get into nursing schools unless you’re a member of Phi Beta Kappa? No; not at all. So don’t despair; while nursing schools admissions are competitive, they’re not exactly cutthroat yet, or at the level of schools like Harvard and Yale. There’s no denying that nursing degrees are getting harder to obtain every year, but a person who applies today, who has a good high school GPA, a high score on the SAT or ACT, strong references, and the ability to write a powerful college admissions essay has a very good chance of winning admission to a nursing program. But it can’t be stressed enough that anyone interested in becoming a nurse should apply as soon as possible, because every year in the future they will be competing against even more people seeking nursing degrees.

Posted in: Uncategorized

Finding Finances To Be Able To Attend School

January 16, 2012

The majority of students look forward to spreading their wings and going away to college instantly after high school. When it comes to actually getting into a good school it is a two part process.

Initially you must get the schools of your choosing to accept you as an incoming freshman. If you have good grades then this is probably not going to be too challenging but many schools will not only look at grades but extracurricular activities, attendance, and of course a student’s behavioral record as well. When all these items are factored in then a student will likely be accepted or declined entrance into college, and most students receive some acceptance letters and some rejection letters.

Of course, even once you are accepted into a college or several colleges there are still issues to be dealt with. By far one of the biggest is coming up with the money you need to go away to school. After all even just the tuition to attend a good school is costly but when you factor in the cost of books and room and board you will find that the cost can go up significantly.

Trying economic times are upon us and because of this most families, even those who can afford to pay these amounts outright, are a bit suspicious to do so because they don’t know what their financial future holds. Depending on your family of origin and their financial situation you may be better off to head to a nearby community college for a few semesters. This will help you earn credits towards your degree prior to entering a more expensive school setting and this will also permit you to live at home and work part time to help you get up the money to go away to the school of your dreams.

If you are not willing to consider attending a community college for a period of time then you will need to explore other financing options for yourself. Some options include student loans, Pell grants, personal loans, and scholarships. Most students can usually receive at least partial help with tuition and some can get their entire college education free of charge.

There are many ways to finance college if you are gung ho on going to a college and establishing your independence. Most colleges have financial aid representatives that can sit down with you and your family and let you know what your options are and how to get the help you need to attend their school.

Posted in: Information Center

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