Archive for Education
When it comes to law school admissions, your LSAT score is the most important piece of the puzzle. How you perform on this test illustrates your degree of competence in key areas necessary to succeed in law school and, subsequently, as a practicing attorney. Your score will determine what schools you can apply to and the likelihood of getting accepted. Some sort of preparation is necessary; and if you are thinking about going the self-study route, rather than a prep class or private tutoring, here are some tips and considerations to guide the process.
Is Self-Study Right for You?
Chances are, if you are thinking about becoming a lawyer, you are pretty darn smart. But, this does not automatically mean that you will succeed with self-study. This route is best for people who are naturally good at taking standardized tests, and if you are not one of these people, you will probably benefit from a more structured preparation approach. If you are not the best self-motivator, suffer from poor time management and generally have a hard time disciplining yourself, it Is unlikely you will successfully navigate two to three months of daily studying.
Do Not Rely Solely on Previously Released LSATs
While taking previously released exams can be a great tool in your self-study arsenal, relying solely on this method is probably not the best way to prepare for the most recent exam. Your prep work should include a comprehensive mix of tools, including materials that teach actual strategies and allow you to apply them in question sets divided by type. Do several full prep tests.
Choosing the Right Study Materials
There are many LSAT test prep series available, and each will have unique elements concerning the best way to prepare for the test. For the student of self-study, it is important to pick materials that are derived from proven test-taking strategies; another crucial element is thorough explanation behind the logic of the correct answers for the practice questions. When preparing for the test, you need to gain a thorough understanding of the differences between the question types –logical reasoning, analytical reasoning and reading comprehension; when choosing the best series of prep materials, it is important to go with the one that best does this to your satisfaction.
Scheduling
A study schedule is crucial when preparing for the LSATs on your own. You should map out a weekly and daily schedule for the entire prep time, usually between eight and 12 weeks. First, you want to take a diagnostic exam to identify strengths and weaknesses. Your prep books can offer some guidance in setting up your schedule. Most people recommend starting with the logical reasoning portion since it is usually the most difficult portion of the exam. You want to take at least two simulated tests weekly to gauge your progress in studying each of the main types of questions and see where you need some extra attention. During the week of the test, you can scale back your studying a bit, but still take those two simulated tests.
Know When to Switch Approaches
While some people do great with self-study, others may not fare as well. But, you cannot really know how you will do until you try. When utilizing this approach, it is important to set some measurable goals to know whether or not you should start looking at alternative preparation methods, such as a course or private tutoring. So, set some benchmarks, such as increasing your score by a certain amount of points by a specific date. If you are not meeting your goals on your own, think about switching gears.
Kelli Cooper is a freelance writer who enjoys blogging about various education topics; if you are currently researching law schools, she recommends you visit Vermont Law for information on their variety of programs, including their top-notch environmental law program.
Do you wish to become a successful online student? Developing a burning desire to achieve and succeed precedes any noteworthy accomplishment online of offline.
You need to really want to excel in an online setting. Distractions are many but if you remain focused on your goals it becomes easy to master your course load.
Figure out why you want to study online. Is it the ease of studying, working in a virtual environment? That’s all well and good but you need something strong, a more powerful reason why to remain on track and focused when you feel the tendency to veer off course.
How can you succeed with your online studies?
Minimize Distractions
The internet is full of tempting distractions. Researching your favorite hobbies is a simple click away. Checking out the news or the latest scores of your favorite sports team threatens to snare your attention at any moment.
You need to remain super focused on your academic goals by focusing on exactly whatever it is you wish to achieve and cancelling out online distractions entirely.
It’s easy to study online and it’s not easy to study online. You can log in and review your cyber classes on your own schedule, at your own leisure. If you lack motivation this will never happen. You will be swayed by online or offline distractions.
If needed, block any of your tempting sites with software which can achieve this task. Use these drastic measures if necessary. In most cases, simply reminding yourself that’s it for class or home work is enough to reduce the urge to hop on tempting websites.
Same deal with offline temptations. No, you can’t go to the park and play ball if it’s time to study. Nice weather or not, you need to study when it’s time to study if you intend to succeed with your course load.
Figure Out Why
You need to have a deep, pulsating “why” reason to succeed online. This is usually tied to some form of freedom. Maybe you seek financial freedom by obtaining a degree in your field of study which can help you acquire a prospering job.
Or maybe you can spend more time at home with your children while you study online, saving yourself commuting time.
Whatever the reason you need to write it down and hold it dear to your heart if you plan to excel. Resistance will arise. You will face many obstacles, like a poor internet connection, or any other series of offline roadblocks, which might appear to hold you back.
Having a strong “why” boosts your creativity, helping you solve these problems with greater ease. Figure out your reason why and you will simply never quit in reaching your academic goals.
Make a concerted effort to cancel out online and offline distractions, keeping focused on your goals and getting to work when you need to do so. Figure out why you want to earn an online degree.
Follow these tips to succeed with your online studies now.
Kelli Cooper is a freelance writer who enjoys sharing tips and advice for maximizing success personally, professionally and academically. Visit GetARealDegree for more information on a range of academic programs, such as the masters in social work.
Online schooling has come a long way in recent years; there are lots of strong academic programs that can prepare you for your field of study as a traditional campus program. The convenience and flexibility of distance learning makes it simpler than ever to go to school while still working full-time, raising a family and tending to other responsibilities of adult life; notice I said simpler, not easier—do not confuse the flexibility and convenience with going to school online requiring less effort. In many ways, an online program is more challenging because this mode of learning requires a greater degree of independence, time management and motivation.
Going to school as an adult is very different than when you are fresh out of high school; at this stage, your studies (and maybe a part-time job for some) is essentially your only responsibility and top priority. If you are already entrenched in the working world, have children, are caring for aging parents or have other responsibilities, successfully completing an online degree will be no easy task; failure to come up with a plan of attack can result in lots of wasted money and crushed dreams of career advancement or entering the line of work you really want to be in. Here are some tips to help you do all you need to do and accomplish your goals.
Find Your ‘’Why’’
At the core of everything we desire is the belief that acquiring it will give us the one thing we all strive for most in this world—to be happy, to live the life we want to live. If you felt motivated to get your degree, there is a reason why. Maybe you want to make more money. Maybe you want to provide a better life for your children. Maybe you want to change careers and do something you feel passionate about. Maybe you never went to college and that has always negatively affected your self-esteem, and you want to feel a sense of accomplishment.
To remain motivated to study when you do not feel like it, to keep trudging on when you think you cannot do it and you should just quit, you need to really tap into your ‘’why.’’ You need to peel back the layers of these reasons—I think of it as the reasons behind the reasons. If you want to make more money, why?If you want a better life for your kids, why?If you want to live your passions, why? As you peel back the layers, you will discover your core values and your core desires, the life you really want, the person you really want to be. Once you get clear on all of these things, you will not let anything stand in your way of getting them.
Prioritize
When you throw getting a degree into the mix, other things in your life that you may deem important now may have to go on the backburner for awhile. You may need to make uncomfortable decisions and sacrifice things of a lower nature for things of a higher nature, like getting that degree that will get you your dream job and more money. We are all entitled to some lazy, do nothing time but if the only way you can find time to study is to cut back on some of this precious, well-deserved time, that is what you are going to have to do. If you find yourself putting off your studies because you insist on cleaning your house top to bottom every other day, you need to decide what is more important—making sure you vacuum that rug which is perfectly clean already or starting that research paper. If you agree to volunteer at every event at your child’s school, you may need to cut back a bit—there are other parents who can help.
Kelli Cooper is a freelance writer who enjoys sharing tips and strategies to help people stay motivated in reaching their goals, whether they are professional, personal or academic. Learn more about accredited online degree programs such as organizational psychology graduate programs or forensic psychology graduate programs by following the links.
Are you excited to start your online studies? You can dive into obtaining your online degree and succeed in your endeavors with a clear and focused action plan. Studying online presents you with a series of obstacles which can hamper your best efforts to become a good student.
The ease with which you can open and close a web browser remains near the top of the list of potential roadblocks. If you feel that something is too easy to do you are likely to ignore the activity on a persistent basis. You might study for a few minutes then put off your online duties for more pressing matters, at least in your mind. It is way too simple to close out your browser and prioritize according to what you feel is necessary at the moment.
Unfortunately, unless you treat your online duties like offline schooling you will fail miserably. You are your boss, the teacher, your instructor, because you decide when to attend class and how long you should study after each session.
You need to focus on your goal to receive your online degree persistently to move into action to make the dream a reality. It will be difficult. Temptations lurk at every cyber corner. But if you discipline yourself,the reward and convenience of obtaining your degree online will seem well worth the effort.
Reduce Distractions
If you find yourself distracted by checking the weather, latest sports scores or any other piece of information online during your predetermined study sessions use software which will block these sites. Some people can simply choose not to visit these sites and be done with it. Other people might need some help in the form of software which blocks specific sites, in order to reduce these distractions.
You also need to shut yourself off from distractions around you by shutting your door and getting down to work. Tell your family, or partner that it’s study time. Some people might feel that obtaining your cyber degree is some type of hobby, something you do in your spare time. This is not the case, as if you treat obtaining your degree like a hobby you will score poorly, or even flop terribly, as an online student.
Study in a quiet, closed off room. Focus fully on your class sessions or homework, blocking out all other forms of distraction to make your job easier.
Where your focus goes, grows exponentially. This means you must tune into your studies exclusively to fully focus your power on the task at hand.
Treat Your Online Degree like an Offline Degree
Imagine if you were studying at a four year university. How would you go about attacking your course load? How much time would you spend studying your materials, to become a successful student? Apply the exact same frame of mind to your online studies. It takes the same amount of discipline, desire and focus to do exceedingly well with your online studies.
Don’t but into the idea that receiving your degree online is easy. The main difference is the ease of commute, and perhaps, not having to block out the distractions of having a lecture hall full of students in your vicinity. Other than that, you better treat obtaining your online degree like receiving your offline degree to succeed.
Use these study tips to excel in your cyber classroom today.
Kelli Cooper is a freelance writer who enjoys sharing tips on how to be more successful with online studies, which presents unique challenges. Follow the links to learn more about rn positions, rn to bsn online and rn degrees.
Trying to get your degree as an adult who is already working full-time, raising a family and tending to other responsibilities is much different than the typical college student who does not have anything else to worry about–besides maybe a part-time job—except his studies. To commit to something as time-consuming as going back to school, you must have a really good reason for wanting that degree. It will not be easy though, and you will probably have to make changes and even some sacrifices, to complete your studies and put yourself on the path you really want to be on. There are lots of ways to help you reach this goal, and the most important strategies will be ones that put you in a state of mind that is conducive to helping you achieve what you want to achieve. Getting clear on your ‘’why’’ is probably the most powerful technique for ensuring your success.
Getting at the Reasons behind the Reasons
There is a reason, or maybe several, why you are going back to school. Maybe your career is stagnant, and you need to develop a new set of skills and knowledge to advance to the next level. Maybe you want to enter a completely different field and you can only do this with a certain educational background. Maybe you are stuck in a menial job with no chance of advancement and you want to earn a better living. Everything we do is because we think it will bring us something we want and no matter what it is we want, we want it because we think it will make us happy, or will make our life better.
If you are going to make it through your hectic schedule, you need to get very clear on the reasons why you want that degree. That clarity is vital for succeeding—you can only reach a goal when you have a deep understanding of what that goal is and why you want to reach it. It is not enough to say you want more money or want to create a better life for your children. You need to get at the reasons behind the reasons. This will give you that deep clarity and anyone who is living the life they desire took one first important step on the path—figuring out exactly what they wanted out of life.
List all of your reasons for wanting to go back to school and go deeper. You want more money-why? You want a better life for your kids-why? You want to follow your passions-why? You want to change careers-why? The deeper you go, the more you will discover about yourself—your values, your desires, the person you want to be. Once you have figured this out, you will not settle for a life that brings you anything less.
Your’’ Why’’ Is Your Motivator
Trying to complete your degree while tending to the other aspects of your life is going to be challenging, and there will be times when you will feel overwhelmed and you may question if you have taken on too much, or if you have what it takes to complete your studies. Being totally clear on why you want your degree and the benefits it will bring you are a necessary ingredient in working through these challenges.A strong ‘’why’’ will help you work through these issues and provide the motivation you need to manage your time better; it will also help you make the necessary sacrifices required for you to succeed.
Kelli Cooper is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about how to succeed in school. Follow the links to learn more about accredited distance learning programs such as mpa degree, the emergency management masters and the fire science bachelor degree.
