College, Drugs and Alcohol: Realities to Confront in Making the College Decision

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Success in college requires intense focus and attention to detail – lots of details. And while it’s true that many change majors and career focus during their time in school, it is also true that those who do so successfully have their focus aligned at another, even more significant level. That level is one of very personal self-commitment to the goal of preparation for the future.

The landscape is littered with those who went to college without a commitment to a specific career, but more importantly failed to have the deeper commitment to personal preparation regardless of their career.

Some would say that those with that deeper level of commitment just have it and that it can’t be developed. It’s just there or it isn’t. That would generally equate it to being a talent. Regardless of the particulars on that point, the following is true and statistics and observations support it.

Alcohol and drug dependence, misuse or addiction is usually a fatal blow to the quest for college excellence – and graduation for that matter. If you are confronting the reality of using alcohol and drugs consistently during high school, you need to be very careful about your college decisions. In fact, you need to find someone you can confide in regarding your present and your future.

The fear of confronting misuse and possible addiction is daunting until you consider your potential future if you don’t. In my work, I have met hundreds of people whose lives were happily liberated by honestly confronting their use and getting help. From there, they were able to establish and maintain a course for their future.

Did they have to make mid-course corrections? They sure did. But in many cases, they didn’t have their boat sink. It stayed afloat and they claimed victory for their future.

At many colleges and universities, twenty-five percent (25%) of college freshmen leave school during their first year due to academic performance deficiencies where drugs and alcohol played a major role, if not being the sole reason.

The vast majority of those students were not just using one drug or favoring one type of alcohol. They used and abused multiple drugs at once. Emergency rooms near college campuses tell the same stories every year of student who die and come close to dying because of alcohol poisoning and comorbid drug use.

The average age for first use of alcohol in the United States is fourteen years of age. We know that youth drinkers drink approximately 70% of their alcohol in one event after they are already legally drunk.

Fortunately, the majority of youth in America don’t drink or use illegal or illicit drugs, but unfortunately the minority that does is very large. If growing high school drop-out rates associated with alcohol and drug use are a problem, it is not a huge leap to assume that the same is true of college students.

And as bad as this is on the surface, you begin to see the long-term problem of broken lives and personal destruction due to the impact of these substances on the brain early on. A young person’s brain does not fully mature physically until age twenty-five.

Substance abuse causes brain shrinkage, impaired development, impaired judgment, impaired memory, impaired motor skills and many other challenging issues that make focusing on success in college virtually impossible. The front lobe or cortex of the brain and the cerebellum (which controls coordination) are especially susceptible to the impact of alcohol. Alcohol use is out-of-control on most college campuses, and those with limited or no control over the temptation to drink and abuse drugs have the decked stacked against them.

Before you get serious about college, get serious about getting your brain ready. The consequences of lost tuition, a criminal record, a failed college transcript, the loss of your time and the possible harm you could bring to others is worth paying attention to.

Writing For The Web-Ten Ways To Make Money

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The Web is a writer’s medium. If you’re looking for your next writing gig, look on the Web. Hundreds of thousands of Web sites are only too eager to pay writers to write for them, so finding buyers for your writing is easy.

One point: while there are many paying gigs for writers online, and you should (usually) aim to be paid for your writing, there are also many sites which will ask you to write for “exposure”. In some circumstances, this can work – perhaps you’re promoting a Web site or a book, and want to be published by a particular site because it’s a great credit.

In general though, if you want to be paid for writing for the Web, ignore those who want you to write for free. There’s an easy way to find paying gigs. Just type “pay” into the search query field in any search engine (Yahoo, Google, MSN), with the kind of writing you want to do. For example, if you want to be paid for writing reviews, enter “paid reviews” with quotes, into your favorite search engine.

Let’s look at ten EASY ways to make money writing for the Web:

One: Articles And Essays

Whatever your interests, you can get paid to write articles and essays about those interests online. When you write an article for the online world, remember that you’re writing for the Web, so your writing should be less dense than it would be for print.

Two: Reviews

You can review books, DVDs, services, electronics, vacations – whatever your interests, you’ll find sites which will happily pay you for reviews.

Three: Blogs

If you haven’t yet discovered the wonderful world of instant publishing, get acquainted with blogs. Some blogging gigs pay very well. Freelance bloggers, also known as pro bloggers, make great incomes blogging for a variety of sites – I’ve heard of a couple of bloggers with 30 blogs for which they write. Their income? Excellent.

Four: Ebooks

From a slow start in around 2000, ebooks have become a commodity that’s in high demand in 2007. Most ebooks are short, around 30 pages, although some can be 150 pages. In word length, they vary between 5000 and 25,000 words.

Everyone wants ebooks – companies, marketers, Web site owners… If you enjoy writing longer projects, get into the ebook writing marketplace.

Five: Reports

Reports are baby cousins to ebooks. They’re shorter, usually only two to three thousand words in length, and are easy to write. As with ebooks, reports are in high demand.

Six: Short Stories

A variety of sites publish short stories for their site visitors. If you like writing fiction, you can write stories which are published in full, or stories which run as episodes, and which will be sent out to readers.

Seven: Tutorials

What do you know how to do? Whatever your skills, you can teach them to others by creating tutorials. The sky’s the limit here, so let your inspiration be your guide.

Eight: Tips

Some sites publish thousands of tips, others send out tips as email messages. As with tutorials, whatever your skills, package them as tips and sell them to eager buyers.

Nine: Affiliate Sales Materials

Affiliate marketing is big online. (Google the term if it’s new to you.) Because it’s such a big industry, Internet marketers hire writers to write marketing materials, ebooks and reports.

Ten: Opinions

Got an opinion about something? You can express your opinions online and be paid for the privilege.

There you have it – ten EASY ways you can make money writing for the Web. I’ve only scratched the surface here. I haven’t touched on those Web writing gigs which require copywriting expertise, like writing Web site content and Web sales pages. The above are gigs that any writer can scoop up.

The gigs are out there. Go get them.

Make the PMP Exam a Happy and Stress-Free Exam

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It has been common to us to be really nervous during the PMP Exam. It even turns out to be the most stressful day of our entire lives. You might feel wanting to stop but you must not! You have given a whole lot of your time for that and it would be a waste of everything if you give up now. Think positive and move on, be confident that with all the sacrifices you did, you will pass. Trust in yourself and you will do great. You have the right to pass. But, if you really want to delay for awhile your exam, you could tell the Prometric testing 2 days before the exam or 35 days if paper-based exam.

During the examination day, you should bring important things with you. And your Identification is one of it. It should have your signature and photo in it. If you have a driver’s license, you could use it. But if you’re identification card does not have a signature, you could your other cards like ATM and bank cards. However, Prometric centers doesn’t allow Social Security Cards and Library Cards to be your identification card.

Also, never go to take the exam without preparing yourself.

– You should sleep early the night before the exam to gain more strength,
– eat healthy and nutritious foods like fruits and oats, if time allows you could at least have a short exercise, jog for a few rounds, to freshen up your body, mind and spirit,
– wear something comfortable. It’ll help you feel better and confident, and
– review your notes.

And be early half before the exact time for your exam. You could still relax a little bit, feel the fresh air and feel prepared, unlike being on time – you’ll be taking the exam while catching your breath!

As you start the test, they will be giving you a paper, pencil and a calculator. Before the test is given, write down first everything that you have remembered. You could look at your paper during the exam and it won’t that hard for you to answer. You may get too nervous to remember everything that you have studied. It is better to write it down while you are still relaxed as soon as the paper was given to you.

After that long and nervous test, stay calm! Relax! And you should feel great for you have done your best to take and pass the test. You don’t have to worry much because you will be receiving the results of the exam after 10 days. But, if you didn’t pass the test, don’t feel dismayed. Failure is part of our lives. Besides, it’s never been the end of the world. You can retake the exam again. And if ever you didn’t pass, all you need to pay is for the re-examination fees. So cheer up!

So, be ready for the exam. I’m sure you’ll do great; especially, you have done your best part for it. You deserve to pass. Be prepared and take the PMP exam with full confidence. Good luck!

Copyright (c) 2010 John Reiling

Why Buy Educational Toys For My Child?

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Maybe the first question that we need to answer is “What is an educational toy?” In my mind an educational toy is that which will teach my child something that is necessary for life. That sounds like a big statement for a toy, but think about it. Don’t you want something that will give your child a head start, or extra confidence, about, oh, I don’t know, spelling words, counting numbers, geography, the world.

Life is difficult, no one has ever said it was easy to get along in this world. Sure, lots of money can make things easier, at times, but in this world we are all equal when we are born. Babies are like little sponges, they learn ‘things’ from the time they are born, as they grow into toddlers, and pre-schoolers. Then along comes school! By the time a child begins Kindergarten, until graduation from 8th, 12th, college and post graduate studies, the majority of his/her time is spent ‘learning’, i.e. being educated. Is it not better to fill a child’s world with toys and games that, along with being fun, teach something. Is it not more fun to watch ants working and interacting in a colony, than, for example, play with a toy gun? I think so!

Why should I buy educational toys for my child? All children want to learn, whether they show it or not. Having educational toys and games available to them helps make learning fun and entertaining, and what is not good about that. Your child will be fascinated to watch tadpoles turn into frogs; see the night sky projected on the ceiling and walls of a room in their very own house; become a candidate running for President of the United States of America; discover great vacation spots while learning about the states and what they have to offer. I could go on an on and on, but I won’t.

The difference between ‘educational toys’ and ‘non-educational toys’ as I see it, is this: Educational games and toys are not only fun and entertaining, but also, make learning fun and interesting, while the ‘non-educational toys’ are just fun. There is a place for both, I guess, but, in my mind I would much rather have my child have fun and learn something too. Don’t you agree?

How to Write a Movie Review?

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In website content writing, writing movie reviews can be fun. We all love to watch movies and sometimes we want to know what other’s opinions are about a particular movie before deciding whether to watch the movie or not. Therefore article writing about a film you watched will help others to make a decision. Let’s discuss some tips to write a good movie review.

All of us have diverse opinions about a film. Article writing a review gives you a way to express your opinion and also helps others to know about the same.

Before you start content writing about a movie, you need to watch it. You can either watch these movies online or rent a DVD or visit your nearest multiplex. There are many websites that allow streaming of movies online.

Once your movie is chosen, getting acquainted with the theme of the movie is very important. Go online and gather some information about the actors in the movie. Check out their previous and upcoming works, whether they have any awards to their name, do they expertise in a particular style of acting, etc. also in content writing, it is important to read about the movie that you have chosen. Read what the movie is all about, whether it is sequel or a remake, the rest of the cast and crew, etc. This information will help you to compare the performance of the cast and crew in the movie of your choice to their earlier work. This is important as it will provide more solidity to the article writing for your review.

You will automatically form an opinion about the movie once you have seen it completely. Try and frame one single sentence that will highlight your opinion about the movie. This sentence will help you give an overall rating to the movie and at the same time your readers will have an instant idea about your opinion. In content writing, such sentences form a solid platform for your review.

While content writing for a review one important aspect is to grab the attention of your reader instantly. This is applicable to any form of website content writing. Your readers must draw interest from what you have to say about anything. Regarding article writing for movie reviews, start your article with a quote from the movie itself. Then gradually explain to you reader how the quote is applicable to the rest of the movie.

Next step is to discuss about the movie in brief. While content writing a review, always give a vague outline about the movie and do not disclose the entire story. You will want to give a general idea to the readers about the movie and not write to make them refrain from watching the movie. If they need to know the entire story, they will have to watch it. Always keep this in mind while article writing for a movie.

You must back your opinion about the film with proofs. Explain exactly why according to you, the movie was a drag or a hit. Mention noteworthy scenes and at the same time those that you thought were unnecessary. While article writing about the movie, you must mention about the script of the movie giving your opinion whether it was a good or bad script.

You must make your review enjoyable. It does not matter whether you enjoyed the movie or not, your article writing for the movie must be engrossing. From the beginning to the end your review should be interesting and at the same time brief.

Lastly, be honest with your content writing. Your motive to write a review must be to let others know about your opinion and not to stop anyone from watching the movie.

So, write a good review! We will be helped a lot with honest and sincere opinions about movies.

Wedding Planning Courses for Beginners

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There is no formal requirement for a wedding planner. If you are interested to be a wedding planner, you will need necessary knowledge. Education is important for you to be a good wedding planner. In the courses, you can gain the knowledge and support from other professionals within the industry who may at some point refer you to potential clients.

At wedding planning classes, you will learn the skills needed to organize weddings as a business or for personal enjoyment. The courses are usually offered in a certificate program in wedding, event or meeting planning. The wedding planning certification is important to show that you are a qualified wedding planner.

At first, the students will learn basic concepts of meeting management. It includes how to set an agenda and the terminology used in the industry. A step-by-step plan will be reviewed so that the students can organize a function that focuses on program delivery, room layout, multi-media integration, return on investment, speakers and other topics.

Wedding planning students will get a course to look at the event timeline and budget management. The use and understanding of fashion, styles, color, and ambiance to enhance the event will be also taught for the beginners. Other skills that the students will learn are directing and consulting with clients regarding personal choices in decoration, music, catering, program, entertainment and other areas. The students also experience to work diligently with vendors to make sure product and service delivery, negotiate contracts and resolve issues. Learning negotiations and contracts is important. They will get the usefulness of requests for proposals in hiring appropriate services and get the negotiation techniques, including leveraging, to get the best deal possible.

Besides, the courses cover everything from communication, organization, hospitality, and conflict resolution. The skill to succeed in choosing convention centers, hotels, conference centers and other sites will be included in the course. Through a tour of facilities, students will experience how to identify potential issues and ensure event needs.

In the course, students learn how to efficiently promote an event to reach and attract target audiences. The skill for marketing plan will be also taught. The course will discuss direct mail options, online marketing and other media.

In the management of food, beverage and catering, the students can learn how to put together the appropriate catering theme, menu and service for an event. Moreover, this course explores the specific types of food usually available at large events and the best foods to serve to different crowds of people. The service style which can affect the ambiance of an event becomes the focus of this course. The students learn techniques on how to maximize budgets and manage costs, as well as how to communicate effectively with catering staff.

Learning Guitars Is Beneficial In Many Areas

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Playing an instrument is an exciting, and often challenging hobby. There are many exciting opportunities for an individual who learns to play an instrument well. Learning guitars is one of the most popular choices in the music industry. Many people who master this instrument continue their learning experience by playing other stringed instruments.

Many people find that the first part in the learning process is the hardest. There are many different chords that need to be practiced during the initial sessions. Mastering these will help the musician be able to learn just about any song that he, or she, chooses. Eventually many people also begin to experiment with creating their own unique music. Some of these individuals also go on to become professional musicians in local venues, as well as national stars.

There are hundreds of learning aids available for the musician to use. These materials come in the form of charts, books, videos, and musical compact discs. Almost all musicians use these items during their learning process. Music stores, book stores, online websites, and libraries are good places to find the necessary items to help the individual learn. These items can be purchased new or used.

Dedication is a requirement for any person to be successful in their studies of the guitar. This trait will help the individual to continue trying, and playing, when things get tough to master. The best guitarists in the world only became that way by being dedicated to their studies.

Patience is another requirement for individuals who are learning to play an instrument. It is good to remember that learning musical instruments take time and practice. People who patiently practice the chords, and even songs, repeatedly are the ones who learn to play them perfectly. Individuals who are not very patient often end up quitting after only a few sessions.

Time is also required for learning to play the guitar or any other musical instrument. Most individuals are not able to just pick up and instrument and begin playing it. Being able to set aside a regular amount of time to practice will help keep the person interested in their instrument. It will also help them to achieve the level of skill that they wish to obtain.

People who commit to regularly practicing often find they get a lot better over time. These individuals also find that they get better the more they practice. They are the ones that continue to play for years to come, and enjoy the activity. This is true whether they play by themselves or with other individuals who enjoy creating music.

The ability to play, and eventually create, music allows a person to express themselves. Many people find this as a good form of therapy when times get stressful. It helps them to relieve stress in a positive manner. This is beneficial for the individual and, ultimately, for their families too. Learning guitars is also helpful for children who experience social or learning difficulties. It helps to build their self confidence and allows them to express themselves as well.

Personal and Business Coaching: Considerations for Hiring a Coach

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If you are interested in Personal and Business Coaching to improve your own and your business performance you are on to a good idea. Nevertheless, consider some of these issues before engaging a personal and business coaching.

Coaching should have a Strategic Focus and hold you accountable, to consistently focus on your strategy, and provide expert help with strategic decisions. The primary focus should be on the overall business system, and whether it will continue to deliver results well into the future. This requires that every part of the business is managed so that long term goals and plans are prepared and implemented, while profitability and cash flow is maintained.

Will your coach adopt the following approach:

1. Big Picture and long term view

2. Key Results (Profit, Sales)

3. The business as a system

4. Is the system working and delivering results?

Ensure that the coach demonstrates the skills you will need. A simple presentation of what can be done is not good enough. For personal and business coaching to work well your coach needs to demonstrate expertise in a way that you will benefit, and in such a way that it is suitable to your personal preferences and needs. Ideally your coach will also focus on how you will achieve success in life, not just in business, by working on your own dreams, goals, skills and habits. The following are some of the points you should expect your coach to focus on:

1. Reflection and balance in the goal you set

2. Clarity of purpose and goals

3. What is working and what is not working? Simple but this requires a good understanding and insight into what you consider important.

4. What will work better?

5. Happiness, fulfillment, excitement, enthusiasm.

Remember, you may want to achieve a business goal, but life is about more than business or a successful career. It should also be about getting what you really want. Start asking what you really want out of life, focusing on happiness. Balance yourself by considering and acting on your Intellectual, Emotional, Spiritual, Physical and Material well-being. At the same time balance the important parts of your life – Family, Friends, Social, and Business/Work/Career.

Imagine how different our lives could be if we manage ourselves each day to be and do what really matters most. That is what personal and business coaching should deliver, not just a focus on business goals such as sales and profit, but on goals that enrich your life.

Lastly, negotiate a monthly fee and no upfront payment. That enables you to stop the coaching if it does not deliver what you expect. However, if you wait till the time or the season is just right, or for the perfect coach, you will never start personal and business coaching. Give it a go and start taking progressive action on the aspects that are important to you.

Discover How You Can Learn To Speak The Spanish Language Online

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Now you can learn to speak the Spanish language from
courses that are readily available online. Learning to speak Spanish as a
second language has never been more important. As our world grows
increasingly more interconnected, the benefits of learning to speak the
Spanish language are becoming increasingly apparent.

In this article, we will look at the various ways you can learn to speak
Spanish. We will examine the advantages and drawbacks of learning the
Spanish language through books. We will examine the pluses and
minuses of learning to speak Spanish in a classroom setting.
We will show you why we think learning Spanish online holds huge
advantages over the more traditional methods of learning this or any
language. And we will discuss exactly what you should look for in an
online program to teach you to speak Spanish naturally and effectively.
There are several ways to learn to speak the Spanish language. Many
books are available to help you learn Spanish. These books come in
assorted prices and quality. And while you can learn to speak Spanish by
studying various texts, the process is often hard work.

In addition, the process of learning any language in this way is
unnatural. Finally, there is the matter of pronunciation. When learning
a language from a book, you never get to hear the language. This makes
it very difficult for you to speak the language in the real world.
Learning how to speak Spanish in a classroom is another option. This
method of learning a language has many advantages over learning
Spanish from a book. If your are learning Spanish in a classroom, you
have a presumably competent instructor that will help you with your
pronunciation. You will be able to converse in Spanish with your
classmates.

Still, there are considerable drawbacks to learning to speak Spanish in
class. Classes can be very expensive. Costs can run into hundreds of
dollars at a university. You have to travel to the class which can be
costly. And you have to adhere to the class schedule. This can be nearly
impossible for many busy individuals.

The newest way to learn Spanish is to learn online. We think this is the
best choice for most people. If you learn to speak the Spanish language
online, you can learn at a time and place that is convenient to you. You
can review any lessons that give you difficulty.

The cost of many online courses is very reasonable when compared to
learning Spanish in a class. The best Spanish courses online are
interactive and can help you with your pronunciation. You will be able
to participate in a conversation in Spanish and be understood.
When you choose an online Spanish course be sure it includes all the
features you will need to learn Spanish in a fast, fun, and effective way.
Make sure your instructors are fluent in both English and Spanish.

You will want to make certain that your online Spanish course is
interactive.You will want the audio portion of the course to be playable
on your computer or mp3 player. And you will want a chance to sample
the lessons before you buy.

Learning the Spanish language can be a challenging and rewarding
experience. It has never been easier to learn another language. Learning
online is such as superior way to learn to speak any language. You can
be speaking in another tongue in just a few weeks. Explore the courses
available online and get started. In just a few short weeks you can be
speaking Spanish.

College Success – What Does it Take?

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College success is not as difficult for most young students as learning how to take on adult responsibilities. Letting go of adolescence and becoming an adult is more challenging according to Carl Pickardt, Psychologist and adolescent specialist. If you take responsibility for showing up to class regularly, turning papers and work in on time, and sacrificing some of the time spent with friends in favor of more study time, you have won half the battle for achieving college success. Being responsible for meeting the demands of college (ability to respond and step up to the plate) is one of the keys to college achievement.

You already have been using some of the higher level thinking skills needed to succeed in college. You use these skills when you solve your life problems and overcome obstacles. Your lack of success in college will not be because you are not smart enough. There are many different types of intelligence and my experience in working with hundreds of students has shown that practically every student is smart in one way or another. For more information on different types of intelligence other than IQ, you can read the theories of Howard Gardner (Multiple Intelligences), Robert Sternberg (Successful Intelligence) and Daniel Goleman (Emotional and Social Intelligence).

In addition to self-responsibility, there are three other factors you will need to succeed in college:

1. Learning how to learn and study skills — You need to learn how to learn effectively and the ways that you learn best. Most colleges offer at least one college success course which can teach you these skills. These courses also need to be taught to high school students, but sadly few high schools provide them. A good college success course will teach you: how to study and learn, reading comprehension strategies, your best learning styles and types of intelligences, how to set and reach your goals, time management, discovery of your talents and strengths, career exploration, writing skills, note taking, problem solving, and more.

2. Work Ethic — Good study and work habits will lead you to success in college and in the work force. Good study skills will only be effective if you apply them. They will be worthless to you if you do not use them.

3. Motivation — Without motivation you will not consistently use good study skills, work habits and your intelligence and potential. There are two types of motivation, the carrot (pleasure) and the stick (pain). When you use these together you will have a powerful motivational combination. Keep your long-range goals for achieving a college education in your mind’s eye. For example, let’s say you want a degree in secondary education to become a teacher. Visualize and imagine yourself as a teacher who is making a positive difference for your students. Enjoy the positive feelings that come when you see yourself as a great teacher. This is the carrot and a reminder of one of the benefits (pleasure) you will experience by achieving your goal. Also remind yourself of the stick (pain) or the consequences if you do not achieve your goal of completing a degree in secondary education. It can deprive you of becoming a teacher. Reminding yourself of the benefits and consequences will help you to stay motivated and persistent. Also break your long-range goals into small steps. Every step accomplished provides you with positive feedback and will increase your motivation to reach your long-range goals.

You can succeed in college, in your career, and in your life. Where to begin? Start with college success by taking responsibility, learning how to learn effectively and how you learn best, using good study skills and work habits, and by fueling your motivation to succeed. Use these four keys and you will open the door to college success and the gateway to your dreams.