Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Strategies for Selecting Reputable Culinary Schools


Looking for culinary schools can prove to be an exciting and stressful prospect. Yet, it is important to select a reputable school that will give you proper education. However, with high tuition costs, living expenses and numerous degree options to choose from, it is considerably easy to make ill-informed decisions. If you are thinking of pursuing a culinary career and enrolling in school, you need to consider the following.

• Determine what you Need 
Before you begin your search for schools, you need to take time and decide exactly what kind of institution you are interested in. Some of the factors you need to consider include the living arrangements available, social activities, the size and location. Also take into consideration instructor accessibility, class size, research materials available. Afterwards, you can visit the ones that grab your attention in order to establish whether you like the environment.

• Visit Numerous Schools 
While brochures and internet advertisements are effective for advertising, it is not enough to base your decision on when selecting culinary schools. You have to visit many of these institutions as possible and observe them. When you visit, talk to students in order to get an idea of whether they like the manner in which things are operated. In addition to this, you should make an appointment with the administrators in order to get details about the curriculum, tuition, financial help options and living costs among other aspects that play an important role in determining the quality of education offered.

• Do not Base your Choice on Rankings Alone 
While rankings play an important role in determining the quality of education offered, you should not solely base your decision on the same. There are several other aspects you need to look at such as the location of the campus, student body, size of the school, whether they offer distance learning. When all these aspects match your needs and the ranking is commendable as well, then you are probably making the appropriate choice. In addition to this, make sure they have the kind of program you are interested in.

• Calculate the Costs 
Education can prove to be a costly venture and as such, you should not ignore the real costs. Some of the aspects you need to consider include price for room, board, supplies and tuition among others. Note that the cost will vary from one school to another and for this reason, you need to be certain about what is expected of you before enrolling. Make sure you read the agreement carefully before you start in order to avoid the possibility of overlooking important concerns.

• Make your Own Choices 
Do not enroll in any culinary schools if the programs they have to offer do not meet your requirements. Make sure you define your interests and career goals clearly in order to make an informed decision.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Selecting the Best Medical Billing and Coding Schools


Do you wish to venture into the medical billing and coding field? If yes, then you need to choose the right school for your training. Remember, your success in this career heavily depends on the kind of training you get. That is why you should always go for the best medical training institution. Fortunately, there are numerous medical billing and coding schools around. Therefore finding a college for your training shouldn't trouble you. However, don't overlook the fact that there are several unscrupulous institutions whose main interest is to make a quick buck. Choosing such colleges is not only costly but also risky since you won't get the needed skills to perform as a medical billing and coding officer.

Due to the increasing demand for more medical billing and coding experts, new schools have started to offer this course. The problem is that most of these schools offer training that does not meet the required standards. Training in such colleges will definitely have a negative effect on your career. That is why you should take time to search for the best training institution.

There are several ways through which you can select the right school for your training. One of these methods is to take time to research on the available medical schools. This is easy since there are so many websites that offer information on these institutions. Apart from research, there are several other essential factors that you should take into consideration when you are choosing the best school for your medical billing and coding training. These factors include:

• Accreditation: Always choose medical billing and coding institutions that are fully accredited. Choosing an accredited institution guarantees you quality education. You also have higher chances of getting employed since your certificate is well recognized. Students who graduate from backstreet training centers are disadvantaged since they do not have the necessary skills to do their work effectively.

• Programs offered: Before you choose any school, it is important to ensure that it offers the right programs. This course is quite composite and therefore you need to choose that offers programs that suit your training needs.

• Cost: Since most of the available medical billing and coding schools are privately owned, you should be prepared to cough up a substantial amount of money. But you should also choose a school that allows you to make savings.

If you want to learn from home, online schools are the best option for you. They have proved to be quite convenient and cost effective.


Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Requirements for Joining Dental Assistant Schools and How to Find the Best Schools


If you intend to join any of the various dental assistant schools near you or even overseas, there are several things that you should take into account. Below is an in-depth analysis of some of the requirements for joining the schools along with some guidelines on how you are able to find the best school that can offer you quality education for a career as dental assistant.
Requirements for joining Dental assistant Schools 
Since there are different institutions that offer training for dental assistants, you will find out that the requirements for joining the schools vary from one institution to the other. However, there are certain basic requirements that you have to fulfill irrespective of the school you would want to join. These requirements include background knowledge in:
• Science (biology and Chemistry) 
• Office practices 
• Computer (General computing skills)
Apart from just the above, it should be noted that in order for you to get the best out of the institutions, you must have the passion for a profession in dental practices. You can only enjoy the lessons that are being offered for the course if you love dentistry.
How to get the best Dental Assistant Schools? 
There are several dental assistant schools that you can choose from. However, not all of them have got the potential of offering you quality education. It is therefore very important that you get to know how you are able to choose the best among the various schools. One of the best options that you should pursue in order to get the best school is the internet.
Searching for the schools online is more convenient and will even make your work much easier. However, it is always advisable that whenever you are making your choices online, you have to make sure that you first read through the schools reviews. Reviews are written by those who have undergone training from those institutions and so from their testimonials, you are always able to get directions on the best ones that you should consider.
In case you may not be able to gain access to a reliable internet connection, it is advisable that you seek referrals from those who have undergone training from dental assistant schools before. This is because, such people are the right ones that can offer you accurate and relevant information on how you can find ideal schools for the course.
When making choices on an ideal institution to join from the various dental schools, it is also advisable that you look into the mode of learning since there are those that offer online tuition while others will require you to take the lessons from classrooms.


Wednesday, June 27, 2012

How To Find Money For College


Just applying to college adds up - and this is all before your student even sets foot on a college campus. No doubt about it, college is expensive. But will it stop you? Most families I speak with say "no - sending our kid to college is a priority".

But, understandably, there are a lot of demands on your time and budget and many parents are banking on scholarships to help pay for college. Of course, there are strategies that can boost your chances of getting a scholarship, but you have to know about them and you have to actually use them.

Ultimately, the truth of the matter is, the college bill will have to be paid whether or not you're awarded a scholarship or other aid. And even if you get a scholarship, there will still be a portion of the bill that you will be responsible for paying - and many parents are often shocked at how much they still have to pay AFTER a scholarship has been awarded.

So, no matter what, you'll need to find money for college - after all, it's a priority, right? Here are some ways to find money for college even on an already tight budget:

Students' savings - birthday money from grandma, bar/bat mitzvah, confirmation money, anytime your student receives money, put it into savings - after all, they're the ones who are going to college, right?

Make coffee at home - if you go to Starbucks 3 times a week, over the course of the year that's over $600.

Your grocery budget - when your student goes off to college, your bill will go down. If your bill drops $100 that's $2,600 to $5,200 over a year. You can shift that money over to college expenses.

Eat at home more - many families eat out more than twice a week. Reducing it to once a week can save you $200-400 per month. Another $2,400 - $4,800. (And your waistline will probably thank you, too).

Become a strategic shopper. With a little planning, you can reduce your grocery bill by as much as 20-30% - taking advantage of coupons and specials can really make a big difference.
One final thing to consider - colleges are more willing to help families financial-aid-wise who have at least tried to save and prepare for college expenses. So taking steps now can actually work in your favor when it comes to the colleges offering you aid to help with the college bill.

It can seem overwhelming when it comes to thinking about how you'll pay for college while still maintaining your lifestyle, planning for your retirement and fulfilling all of your other obligations.

But, you did say college is a priority, right?

Your Smart Plan For College Assignment.

Start figuring out your college budget and calculate how much you feel you can realistically pay towards college.

How much have you saved specifically for college? Divide it by 4 (that savings has to last 4 years). Add to it.

How much you feel you can squeeze out of your monthly budget (see above for ideas). Add to it.

How much outside sources such as relatives might be able to contribute.

Once you have an idea of how much you have for a college budget, you now need strategies that can help you stretch that college budget as far as possible. Start learning what you can do to keep college as affordable and then act on it.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

How to Express Uniqueness When You Think You Have None


You're not the best athlete in the region. You haven't started your own charity. Frankly, you've never had to overcome any significant life obstacles. So, what do you write about that doesn't sound like millions of teens could have written the same exact 500 word essay? Alas, there's hope, but first, put the pen and paper, err, keyboard away. It's time for some introspection.

In helping students identify what to write about, I ask them to answer the following question, "What have you done that you are truly proud of"? Your answer isn't limited to something school related. Really do some soul searching.Before you answer, here are a few ground rules:

· Your answer can't be vague, so an answer like "I'm proud of my grades" won't really help you, but talking about the fact that your GPA, or a grade in a class is much more than meets the eye because of what might have happened behind the scenes that your transcript doesn't reflect.

· Be very, very specific. You're 17 or 18 years old, no one is really expecting you to have climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro or have won a Nobel Prize. Sometimes, however, a small anecdote about your life can reveal a lot about you. One student told me all he did extracurricularly was babysit. After some prying, I found out that he babysat for his baby cousin so the baby's young, unmarried mother could continue with her college education. That's pretty powerful.

· SHOW, DON'T TELL - don't tell me that you're hardworking... SHOW me. Tell me a vivid story, it will make a much more lasting impact on your reader and it will make your story more convincing, engaging and memorable.

Here are some anecdotes that will illustrate these points and demonstrate what does or does not work.

Example #1 Writing about your family - this isn't typically an earth shattering subject. We all have a family. You haven't necessarily been through any monumentally challenging times together, but how do you uniquely express their importance to you?

Compare these two openers:

My family is very important to me. My younger brother, mother and father are all very special to me, and I value our relationship. My parents are very supportive of all that my brother and I do.

Versus

The phone rings. It's Tommy calling to indicate that our friends are going to see the new James Bond movie tonight. I've been eagerly awaiting this new flick, but before I blurt out my excited acceptance, I stop myself. This is the same night that my family has been planning to get our Christmas tree. This is always a special event. We pick out the tree as a family, bring it home, decorate it while consuming hot chocolate and my mom's outstanding homemade cookies while my dad bellows off-key Christmas carols. I have not missed this event in 16 years, and I certainly was not going to start now. The same movie would be playing tomorrow night.

The first example tells while the second example shows.

Example #2- the supermarket cashier

Let's suppose you don't have a significant number of extracurricular activities. Perhaps it's because you work hard at your job as a cashier at the supermarket. There are thousands of teens who do this same job. How do you write about this uniquely? Here are the stories of two people who did:

Joe started his 1000 character extracurricular activity essay on the Common Application talking about how he missed some gatherings with his friends and how sometimes he had to get up much earlier than he'd like, but that his job at the Supermarket had taught him a tremendous amount. He learned discipline because absences and lateness aren't tolerated if he's going to keep his job. He learned the value of a dollar since it takes quite a number of hours for his earnings to accumulate, so he spends his money wisely. He's also talked about the friends he has made and how he considers this group to be like a second family.

Or

Another student worked as a cashier at a grocery store, and discussed her experiences like a sociological observation. She learned an awful lot about people based on their behavior as they stood in line or how they treated the cashiers. She shared some of these stories and told of how it made her more tolerant and more appreciative of small acts of civility and common courtesy.

Example #3 - Community Service - A lot of students are engaged in community service, and a great number of students who choose to write about their civic involvement tend to employ some pretty overused expressions in conveying their thoughts. "It was very fulfilling", "I enjoy the feeling that I get when I help other people" or "it makes me feel good to help people who are less fortunate" are vague and overused. Again, tell me a story that SHOWS me how this work has impacted you. Examine the following example:

Nathan volunteered to help recovery efforts after serious flooding in a neighboring community. Nathan opens by describing himself as a 6 foot tall, 200 pound athlete, and, amidst the destruction, the sight that struck him most was a girl's tiny pink Barbie purse found in a mud pile. After seeing that, it really hit him that a little girl and her family, had lost so much. He then goes on to describe the work he did including carrying mold infested wood to dumpsters and how he learned to sand wood floors, install vinyl siding, and more. He also talked about learning how to comfort people who have lost everything.

No vague, over-arching statements could have made Nathan's story as vivid and as descriptive as his telling us what he saw through his own eyes. Breaking your story down into anecdotes is a fantastic strategy and will make your story much more engaging to your reader. Your reader will understand that your small story is probably an example of a greater whole, and your anecdotes will make your story much more memorable.

I'll leave you with a final anecdote that was one of my favorite college essays, but not because anything the writer did was so earth-shattering, but instead, I like it because she showed me that she's incredibly hard-working. This is something many of us can say, but how do we show it? Cari was a solidly strong high school student. She was on the track team, but was not a standout athlete. She was also in some clubs. Her junior year was rough. She suffered a severe case of mononucleosis (Mono) and missed a good bit of school. She suffered a stress fracture in her leg and was unable to participate in track which was her main social outlet, and then there was the crowning glory of her terrible year and she started her essay with this story.

She describes a feeling of nausea. She mentions looking out the window and breathing deeply to try to keep it at bay, but there was just nothing she could do, so in the middle of the SAT's, she threw up. She goes on to talk about the mono, the missed school, the broken leg and anything else that went wrong during her junior year. She describes how the adults in her life suggested she drop her AP class because she was far behind in her work, but she refused. She talks about how hard she had to work to climb out of the hole she was in, but she just chipped away at it. In the end, her grades were as strong as always and no one would have known anything went wrong by looking at her transcript. She even was elected president of a club for her senior year. Then, in her closing sentence, she said, "In case you're wondering, yes, I did make it to the bathroom during the SATs.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

How Textbooks Are Formatted Using MS Word


Microsoft's Word can be considered as the best tool for writing and formatting a textbook. The application has the capacity to handle up to 10,000 pages in one file. It has many features that seem intentionally designed and created to facilitate how textbooks are formatted. That is why many authors prefer to use it.

MS Word has many versions since its Word 97. Each may have varying features, but the usefulness can be applied in all versions. It will be ideal to use the program from the start of writing the book until the manuscript is completed and layouted for publishing. Familiarity with the application will not be a problem because it is currently one of the basic programs that are downloaded and used in modern PCs.

Formatting chapters

Textbook authors generally draft a chapter at one time. Thus, every chapter is a separate entity from the rest. Many authors find it a bit tricky to sequentially number pages, create the table of contents, and use cross-references. MS Word has a Master Document feature, which helps combine chapters more easily. However, some people do not recommend its use because it may possibly corrupt the document.

It is still best to simply combine different chapters into a single document file and then consistently format it. Combining the content will be easy. Features like Sections, Styles, and Templates will be helpful. Section breaks in between chapters can effectively separate them from each other within a file. Styles and Templates, on the other hand, can help apply consistency and at the same time minimize tediousness of the task.

Using Styles and Templates

The Styles feature of MS Word regulates structure. There are two facets covering how textbooks are formatted: the manuscript and the formatting phases. Writing and compiling text is involved in the manuscript phase. Deciding how the book will look like is the main thrust of the formatting phase. An author can easily adjust and customize the styles and format with just a click of the mouse. He must be familiar with the program's features.

The Templates feature imposes style definitions, making it crucial as well in the process of how textbooks are formatted. It is the feature that implements layout instructions like margin size and page number locations. After formatting text according to required structure, the template can be easily modified. The author can even use different font and sizes for Print Template and Web Template.