Ethical Concerns Within Public Research - 928 Words

Ethics There are few ethical concerns within this research question. Firstly, it may be the case that the subjects can become distressed due to the sensitive nature of the research question. If at any point this occurs during the interview, I will switch off the recorder until the participant is ready to continue; if at all. If a participant wishes to withdraw at any point during the research, they will be able to do so freely. Each participant will be provided with a consent form, which they must sign before the study commences. They will also be provided with a copy of this consent form. Furthermore, a debrief form will be provided at the end of the research, which will illustrate my contact details. I will express that they are entirely welcome to contact me at any stage during and after the research if they have any other questions or concerns. With this in mind, each participant will be afforded extreme confidentiality and anonymity throughout the research. I am weary that the definition of confidentiality and anonymity is a fairly subjective term (Davies et al 2011). Therefore I will make it implicitly clear, on the consent and the brief form, that all names of each participant given to myself will be changed for the purposes of the research; regardless whether the names given were correct names or not. Furthermore, the interview recordings will only be heard by myself and my supervisor, if required. At the end of the research project all voice recordings will beShow MoreRelatedEthics Theory1635 Words   |  7 PagesEthical Treatment of Prisoners Name SOC120: Introduction to Ethics Social Responsibility Instructor: November 20, 2012 The life of prisoners some may never know. There are those who care not to know what goes on behind that wired fence. We find that some people that are convicted of crimes that they did not commit. Some people would rather turn their heads to what actually happens in a prison institution, because they feel it is no concernRead MoreThe Ethics Of The Public Administration System Essay814 Words   |  4 Pagesgrounded in duty. The nature, meaning and scopes of ethics have overgrown in the course of time. Ethics is thickened to public administration. In public administration, ethics concentrates on how the public administrator should question and reflect in order to be able to act responsibly. We can simply bisect the two by saying that ethics deals with morals and values, while public administration is full of actions and decisions. The levels of ethics in governance are devoted to historical, Social,Read MoreThe Three Major Factors Fueling International Technological Growth1271 Words   |  6 Pageseconomic. There are not many effective or efficient regulations which protect these technology growths, with the exception of telecommunications. As such, businesses seize opportunities – even unethical ones, to advance their firms. Legal and ethical issues relating to the internet and e-commerce include â€Å"cyber pirating†, trademark infringement and copyright. Businesses will â€Å"steal† the trademark or trade name of a well reputable company to attract unknowing consumers. Moreover, dot-com companiesRead MoreCoe of Ethics1625 Words   |  7 Pagesorganizations that follow their own mission with ethical values and company goals. The American Association for the Advancement of Science follows the mission statement of â€Å"advance science engineering, and innovations throughout the world for the benefit of all people.† (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2015) By following company goals, this statement can be reinforced. What are the organization’s goals and how are they tied to its ethical principles? There are 9 main goals the AAASRead MoreBest Youth Services : An Organization With Values Based On Enhancing The Quality Of Life Of The Youth1608 Words   |  7 Pagesinvestigation is being done, but will not be completed before the 25th. A fair and ethical decision has to be made before the anniversary celebration. Better Youth Service has built a bond of trust within the community over the last 25 years, making an uninformed decision concerning the claims could hinder the enhance BYS’s reputation in the community. First and foremost, Better Youth Service is a business and the concern of the clients should be number one. There are two sides to every story and itRead MoreThe Ethical Values Of A Manager1153 Words   |  5 Pages  Often times the ethical values of a manager, business, or even nation are ignored when they place financial profits at risk.   Many nations have had to face these moral conflicts when dealing with substances, such as alcohol, drugs, and tobacco.   India is no different and like many developing and developed states, they were faced with the dilemma of the health risks related to tobacco use.   One of the ways to combat a product’s popularity is to limit the exposure of peoples to it by blocking theirRead MoreImmunizations And Vaccinations : A Hot To pic1426 Words   |  6 Pagesthe administration of vaccinations and immunizations in the United States. There are both legal and ethical issues surrounding the controversy, which include both deliberate and exogenous reasons not to vaccinate, and the mandatory nature that is required by many schooling districts and places of employment. Within this paper, I will discuss some legal implications surrounding vaccination, ethical debates that are current in the topic, as well as my point of view regarding immunizations and vaccinationsRead MoreMoral And Ethical Implications Of 3d Printing Technology1478 Words   |  6 Pages Moral and Ethical Implications of 3D Printing Technology In his work, â€Å"Introduction: Nanotechnology, Society, and Ethics†, CalPoly Associate Professor of Philosophy Patrick Lin writes, â€Å"Let’s take a step back and consider any given technology we have created: gunpowder, the printing press, the camera, the automobile, nuclear power, the computer, Prozac, Viagra, the mobile phone, the Internet. Undoubtedly, these have brought us much good, but each has also changed society in important, fundamentalRead MorePolicy Position For Electronic Cigarettes Essay1453 Words   |  6 PagesPolicy Position for Electronic Cigarettes in Public Area Electronic cigarettes, which are commonly known as e-cigarettes, can be described as battery-powered devices that are packed with liquid nicotine. The liquid nicotine is a highly addictive chemical which is dissolved in a combination of propylene glycol and water. These devices are usually designed in a way that they look like real cigarettes and are availed in different colors such as brown filter, cylindrical tube, and red-glowing tipRead MoreProfessional Ethics in Geography Essay1497 Words   |  6 PagesFor any professional establishment, ethics is considered an important aspect within the work place. Ethics are a set of concepts and principles that guide us in determining what behavior helps or harms others. 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Kurdistan Kurdish Statelessness - 653 Words

Kurdish Statelessness The Kurds are a large group of people who are from Kurdistan. Kurdistan is a large area of land in the Middle East that makes up land throughout Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. Although the Kurdish people have lived in Kurdistan for centuries, their land has never been declared a state. Therefore, the Kurdish people are a stateless population. The Kurds mostly live throughout Iran, Turkey and Iraq. Also, some of them can be found living in Syria, Russia, Lebanon and Germany. Kurdish intellectuals live in exile in European countries such as France, Sweden etc. (1 pg.1). In 1975, the Kurds made up 19 percent of Turkey’s population with a total number of 7,500,000 people. They had a population of 2,500,000 people in Iraq which made 23 percent of the country’s population. In Iran, the Kurdish people made up 10 percent of Iran’s population consisting of 3,500,000. In addition, the Kurds were a part of 8.5 percent of Syria’s population with 500,000 people (1 pg. 4). Moreover, in 1991, the Kurds maintained 19 percent of Turkey’s population with an increased population of 10,800,000 people. Their numbers increased in Iraq with a population of 4,100,000 people upholding their 23 percentile. The Kurdish people increased in numbers and made up 23 percent of Iran’s population with a number of 5,500,000. Their population consisted of 1,000,000 in Syria making up 8 percent of their populace (1 pg. 4). Therefore, one can draw the conclusion that the Kurds are in large

Frankenstein and Blade Runner Essay Example For Students

Frankenstein and Blade Runner Essay Blade Runner’s Eldon Tyrell proclaims the company’s slogan as ‘more homo than human’ . How has the impression of humanity been explored in Frankenstein and Blade Runner? Thesis: The nature of humanity is patterned advance. when we progress excessively far we play God and lose basic traits of humanity. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein draws on concerns from the romantics epoch to exemplify the natural and avaricious appetency for patterned advance that is portion of the nature of humanity. Furthermore Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner touches on Shelley’s impressions of danger in human endeavor and the unmanageable thrust of scientific development. These texts critically inquire into the follies of greed. and moral corruptness. Despite there being over 150 old ages between their composings these texts likewise represent the effects of playing God. and in turn the loss of humanity that goes with it. The common thematic concerns of these texts are explored through the usage of camera angles. imagination. tone and metaphor. Both Frankenstein and Blade Runner portray how the aspiration to interrupt through human restrictions in an act to play God is bound to ensue in failure. The spiritual imagination used when Frankenstein grants the â€Å"spark of life† upon the Animal in his attempt to â€Å"pour a downpour of visible radiation into our dark world† helps us come to the decision that the Creature is the really incarnation of the freak that worlds are capable of making. The metaphor of visible radiation in. â€Å"until from the thick of this darkness a sudden visible radiation broke in upon me† conveys Victor’s natural waking up to the possibility of making a perfect being imperviable to diseases. Such an unmentionable act trespasses the kingdom of the godlike Providence. meaning the beginning of Frankenstein’s sightlessness. He is speedy to gain that he has created a monster. as shown by the sorry tone in. â€Å"I beheld the wretch – the suffering monster whom I had created. † This depicts that untamed human aspiration can take to the accidental creative activity of the ‘grotesque’ when playing a human God. Similarly in Blade Runner. the dystopian universe demonstrates the wake of humanity’s desire to make a better society when playing God. The gap bird’s-eye shooting portrays a disintegrating metropolis dominated by industrial edifices. This disintegrating metropolis plants in concurrence with the repeating motive of unreal Ne lighting and eerie sounds to make a cold dark atmosphere. Blade Runner’s shadowy ambiance is symbolic of the deficiency of heat. fondness and household which has been created by the human demand of patterned advance. Such technological licking indicates humanity has gone excessively far. ensuing in complete devastation of nature. Furthermore Tyrell’s malicious demand for God like power over the replicants he creates is shown when he states â€Å"If we gift them with a past. we create a shock absorber or a pillow for their emotions. and accordingly. we can command them better. † The ceaseless demand for domination displayed depicts an obvious purpose to play God and suitably. the human existences in this alternate hereafter seem unreal and deficient humanity. Both texts warn the audience about the dangers of human aspiration to come on in scientific discipline which holds the capacity for non merely lay waste toing the environment but besides humanity itself. The two texts remark on mankind’s loss of humanity. Shelley depicts this subject through the duality between the animal and Victor. his Godhead. The animal is able to demo basic human inherent aptitudes as it relates to â€Å"the pleasant showers and affable warmth† of nature on it’s pilgrim’s journey through the wilderness. In contrast. Victor shows â€Å"insensibility to ( natures ) charms† while making the animal by incorporating himself in a â€Å"deep dark deathlike solitude† . this initial rhyme is metaphoric of Victor’s inability to associate to nature and expose basic human qualities which the animal can. .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 , .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 .postImageUrl , .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 , .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359:hover , .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359:visited , .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359:active { border:0!important; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359:active , .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: alexander the great EssayThis straight relates to the romantic epoch. when Shelley wrote Frankenstein and that the grasp of nature was considered inseparable from the human experience. Therefore. this duality is metaphoric of mankind’s loss of humanity. Scott reinforces mankind’s loss of humanity through the executing of the Tyrell Corporations motto â€Å"more human than human. † The loss of humanity can be seen in the contrast between replicants and worlds. Pris is have oning a nuptial gown while concealing from Deckard ; this is metaphoric of the replicants ability to experience emotions of love and familial belonging. a basic homo inherent aptitude which the worlds of this universe are unable to experience. J. F Sebastian’s dry duologue â€Å"I make friends. they’re plaything. my friends are toys† shows that humans no longer hold existent households and have lost the ability to develop relationships of course. Contrasted once more by Batty’s ululation of hurting at the decease of Pris. this is symbolic of the familial bonds and relationships formed between replicants. Not merely does this comparing set up the slogan â€Å"more human than human† as a truism. it is symbolic of Scott edifice upon Shelley’s original word picture of mankind’s loss of humanity therefore reenforcing her warning against the amoral chase of scientific discipline and engineering. Shelley and Scott draw upon the concerns of their times ; the characters warn us that transgressing our boundaries and unrestrained scientific promotion comes with a effect. The texts critically ask into the human ability to perpetrate monstrous workss in the name of ‘progression’ . It is apparent that despite their contextual differences. both texts are linked through their common concerns about our built-in preparedness to abandon that which distinguishes worlds from all other species. Possibly the implicit in message of these texts is that despite the things we create being a contemplation of ourselves and our societies. it is finally our creative activities that mould us and who we are. This is illustrated by Winston Churchill’s words â€Å"we shape the things we build. thenceforth they shape us† .

School Work Essay Example

School Work Essay Become more marketable. More and more companies make having a Bachelors degree a requirement. Bachelors degree is the new high school diploma. With more and more companies using database searches for recruitment you may not get a chance to even show your portfolio if a college degree is not a part of your resume. 2. Learn new skills. When you work you often dont have time to devote to learning new skills that arent directly related to the task at hand. Yet, this can be personally and professionally rewarding. I learned video and even got a chance to show at a couple of festivals. . Get into teaching or management. Bachelors degree is a requirement for teaching and management positions, at least in big cities. Of course, there might be exceptions but those are few. A degree doesnt guarantee youll become an art director but at least youll be in the running. 4. Experience college life. Or not. Your experience can vary depending on whether you live on campus or not, how much free time yo u have, and other personal factors. Do whatever you feel comfortable with. 5. Change career focus. Maybe you worked in print for over ten years and youre getting bored with it. The grass looks so much greener over in the web design field. Although you can make the switch without a degree, the knowledge and experience from college certainly wont hurt. Youll have more credibility and confidence. Twentysomething: Be responsible, go back home after college By Ryan Healy According to Monster. com, 60 percent of college graduates move home with mom and dad after graduation and the trend is on the rise. The statistic holds true with my friends from the class of 2006. More than half moved back to the suburbs to start adult life, much the same way they ended high school life — with their parents. We will write a custom essay sample on School Work specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on School Work specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on School Work specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer A lot of people say generation Y needs to grow up and take some personal responsibility and that we have been coddled by our helicopter parents (see the comments section). But when you look closely, it is glaringly apparent that moving back in with parents is one of the the most responsible things a new college grad can do. By sucking it up at home for a year or two, young people give themselves the opportunity to take control of their career, take control of their finances and transition from the care-free college fantasy world to the real-world of work, marriage, kids, mortgages and car payments. Take control of your career To live comfortably in a big city like New York, students are forced to take a high paying, but less than satisfying job. Often, top graduates end up working for the best paying investment bank or law firm. Im sure you could find a small minority of conservative students who had dreams of becoming an I-banker since middle school, but for the most part these jobs are going to the top tier students who are trying to make a quick buck before they retire at 30 (or so they say). By moving home after graduation, you have little or no rent which allows for more freedom when searching for a job. There is no need to sell out to an investment bank if your real goal is to work with underprivileged children. Depending on where your parents are located, you are probably missing out on the big city night life and social scene, but you have lots of opportunities to find the perfect job, regardless of pay. If ditching the social scene for career sake doesnt demonstrate responsibility and independence, I dont know what does. Take control of your finances Real wages today are lower than they were for the past two generations of workers. Couple that fact with todays insane housing costs and an increase in contract workers not receiving benefits, just getting by on forty or fifty thousand a year in a major city is nearly impossible. Attempting to save any reasonable amount of money the first few years is a joke. However, moving home with mom and dad will immediately save you about $700 a month in housing costs. At least there is some extra cash flow. In two years, you can save up enough to move out on your own without worrying about going into credit card debt for basic necessities like fixing your car or buying groceries. Take an appropriate adjustment period between college and the real world People really do struggle adjusting from college to the real world. A good friend of mine just fulfilled her life long dream of moving to New York. She still loves the city, but she is overwhelmed and doesnt exactly like her day job. Sure, many people go through this tough transition period, and chances are she will eventually enjoy it, but the transition from child to adult is different, and oftentimes, more difficult for todays youth. This period is not a transition, but an actual life stage, according to Jeffrey Arnett, associate professor at University of Missouri and author of Emerging Adulthood: A Theory of Development from the Late Teens through Early Twenties . Arnett describes the period between college and adulthood as, a self- focused stage where people have the freedom to focus on their own development. Notice he calls this period of stage in development and not just a transition between two stages. So why do we still try to go from adolescent to adult in a matter of weeks or months? Moving home for a while enables an appropriate and productive transition. Rather than focus on rent, bills and kids, emerging adults living at home with their parents have the ability to focus on the most important aspects of emerging adult life: figuring out who they are and what career is right for them. Ryan Healys blog is Employee Evolution. After taking a serious re-evaluation of my life over the last year, I finally realized what I should be doing with it. I want to be a nurse. I attended college several years ago, but I majored in English Lit and didn’t finish my degree. How can I plan for this financially? Going back to school is a pretty common goal that people have. In fact, my mother-in-law went back to nursing school when she was in her forties because, after many years working in a research lab, she realized she had a calling and a gift to interact with and help people. Along those same lines, I have actually considered going back to school to work on a degree in political science, as I’m moving more and more towards being involved in local and state politics. I’m mostly interested in such a degree to help me build upon the connections I’m already making in the local community and get a firm grounding in how politics work. If you’ve come around to the idea of going back to school in order to reboot your career (or extend it), here are the steps I’d take along the way. First, do the personal investigation to find out if this new career you want is really right for you. Talk to people that are already in the career that interests you and simply tell them your story. Ask what their actual workdays are like. Ask about the education that was required or them to get their job. If you’re heading towards a completely new career track (as I would be if I followed up on the political idea), it’s a good idea to contact multiple people at various points along the career track to get some input. For example, for a political person, you might want to talk to campaign staff, state legislators (and their staff), m embers of local boards, and so on. If you can, dabble in this track in your spare time. Do volunteer work, or get involved in organizations where you can meet people who are involved in this career track. You may find out from this alone that the career path isn’t for you. I know, for example, that I’ve mentored at least one writer who decided that the day-in day-out research and creative efforts were too much for him. Don’t do this lightly. The decision to leave your current career and find a new one is a serious leap and likely a very expensive one. Don’t simply jump from one career that doesn’t excite you into another one. Find out as much as you can from the outside first, until you’re highly confident that this new career is the right one for you. Next, critically evaluate the educational needs of that career track. What sort of schooling or degree do you actually need to get your foot in the door. For example, with nursing, a degree is essentially required in order to practice professionally, but with politics, a degree is far from required to get involved it’s merely a way of building a strong base of understanding. The way to do this is through research and also through asking your contacts what education is required. Look at job listings and find out the minimum requirements for the types of jobs you would apply to at the start of the career path. What do you need that you don’t already have? Once you’re sure you want to follow this new path and you know what you need to do, then start worrying about the costs of education. Start evaluating institutions that are available to you and get a realistic cost estimate. Depending on the amounts, you should start saving cash in a 529 plan set up to match the target date that you expect to start attending school. If the date is close, the cash will be invested largely in very safe investments (cash, bonds, etc. ), but if you know that school is a long time off, the money will go into more risky investments with a larger upside (stocks, real estate, etc. . There is one thing that’s more important than anything else along the way, though. You have to get started. Now. If you have a dream burning inside of you, don’t just let it sit there and idle. At the very least, take that first step. Find out more about what it actually entails. Find out what that career would actually be like. Then, take that information, d o some serious soul searching, and figure out for yourself if it’s right for you. If you let your dreams just sit idling on the runway of life, eventually those dreams will run out of gas and never take flight. Take that first step right now. Do some research about that dream career and find someone to talk to about it. Even if you realize it’s not for you, you’ll never regret having taken that first step. Top 5 Reasons You Should Go Back to School by Amelia GrayLooking for reasons to go back to school? Look no further. Upgrading your education with an advanced degree can mean honing your skills, learning new specializations, and coming back to work a stronger, more versatile employee. Even if youve been away from school for a long time, the benefits of advancing your education can be worth the commitment. Check out the top reasons to get back into the classroom. 1. Get a Degree, Earn a Higher Salary Do you ever wonder how much more salary you could be earning? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, associates degree holders have median weekly earnings of $715. Each year, individuals with bachelors degrees earn approximately $15,400 more than those with associates degrees, and those with master’s degrees earn $12,800 more than those who have bachelors degrees. | 2. Become More Marketable Beyond a salary boost, an advanced degree could be a bargaining chip in the promotion process. In general, hiring managers offer higher entry-level salaries and more promotion opportunities on average to those with higher education. Employers may even help fund your degree if you intend to stay with the company. 3. Advance Your Career You may already be aware of the career advancement possible within your industry. Management and supervisory positions often require a bachelors degree or higher, and many high-level managers hold an MBA. Specialized positions could require an additional associates degree or certification. 4. Keep Your Skills Sharp Whether youre in a skilled industry making the transition to high tech devices, or in a healthcare or teaching profession requiring constant re-certification, its traditionally important to stay current in your education. Degree programs typically evolve to include new technologies, meaning you can always learn something new. 5. Use a New Degree to Change Careers Even if you already have a degree and an established career, changing fields does not need to mean a fresh start. A new degree can add specializations and qualifications you can use to change directions. In true try it before you buy it form, many students use a degree program as a way to learn more about potential new fields before committing to a career. Think of your education as a savings account. With every educational investment you make, your long-term career plans can grow. Over time, your investment may pay out in the form of a challenging, interesting career that values your skills and knowledge. Recessions can be a persuasive case to reevaluate your current career path, your income, even your current employment status. If your career path hasn’t been as rewarding as you had thought, it might be time to change careers. If your income seems too low, a college degree or graduate degree will definitely improve your income. Finally, if you’ve been laid off as a result of the recession, going back to school can perhaps be the best investment you might make. Let’s go over the top 5 reasons people have reported for going back to school. #1 – A Recession is Temporary, an Education is Permanent Recessions never come at a good time as their unpredictable nature is not something we typically plan for. However what is predictable is that recessions are temporary – typically 2-3 years; just enough time to finish that degree you might have started on. If you haven’t started it, now is definitely the time. An education is permanent and will carry you throughout your life, both financially and intellectually. And it only takes 4 years to almost double your income. The average high school graduate will top out at $31,000 per year while a post graduate will earn more than $75,000. 2 There’s No Better Time to Build a Better Future for You and Your Family A recession, particularly a layoff, provides a ripe time for some reflection on your achievements and how they relate to your ultimate goals in life. If you find yourself without further opportunity, then it’s time to create that opportunity. To do so, you need to be competitive and increase your skills and knowledge with a degree. Employers value degrees that add value to their organization and reward them pr oportionately. #3 – Find Yourself with a Career Change During your elf-reflection, you might find yourself asking whether your career is emotionally and intellectually fulfilling or if you even enjoy your current industry. Too many people go through life in misery of their job and it’s completely unnecessary. All it takes is a little planning and commitment. First find your passion, and then find out what schools and degrees can train and validate your career change. #4 – College is More Flexible and Affordable than You Might Expect Universities are becoming more and more flexible with class times offering morning sessions, evening sessions, even weekend classes. These same institutions are also offering full programs online eliminating the need to actually attend class in person. Furthermore, although a 4 year degree is increasing in costs, with careful planning you can achieve your education without sinking into debt. Testing out of classes with CLEP is certainly one of the most effective. Finding and obtaining scholarships from Fastweb and the Financial Aid Resources page can help tremendously. Finally, Federally Subsidized Stafford loans are a huge benefit to consider as the Government will actually pay your interest while you’re in school. 5 Insulate Yourself from a Poor Job Market A recession might just be the time to commit yourself to school full time. By removing yourself from the job market altogether, you can ride out the recession without the stress of trying to make ends meet. This might require more planning and perhaps more school loans, however depending on your circumstances and with a proper cost/benefit analysis, yo u might find that the debt incurred by such a commitment will more than payoff in the long-term. Ultimately you need to consider an economic recession as opportunity for advancement, rather than a gamble to keep your job. If you choose to increase your skills and knowledge with that degree you’ve always wanted, you might just find that recession over before you know it while working in an emotionally, intellectually, and financially rewarding careerOnce upon a time I worked full time and went to college full time. And while I thought that was a busy time in my life, I couldn’t imagine doing it with kids! So I truly admire the folks that go back to college in addition to juggling a career and family. There are many reasons to go back to school. Some people do it for career enhancement while others may do it for a sense of accomplishment. Here’s another reason:   To keep yourself marketable. I just caught an interesting article that said when a younger person and an older one interview for the same job, the advantage will go to the younger one even if they are slightly less qualified. (Does that tick you off as much as it did me? )   The article doesn’t specify exact ages, but I can get a pretty good idea. I’ve been pushed aside for a newbie out of college enough times to figure it out. However, the same article said:â€Å"†¦Ã‚  older workers may gain selling points from additional education. Aside from fresh academic credentials, they also can show other qualities employers value from doing the juggling act of home, work and school: flexibility, time management, multitasking, self-discipline. †I know when I went back to college, it was because I was at a point where I worked a zillion hours, had no personal life, and hated my job. I felt trapped. Going back to school did something to my psyche. I was easily one of the oldest people in my class but I suddenly  felt as if I had more options. So it did give me the confidence that had worn away from years at a thankless job. I was able to change my mindset, and the rest of my life changed for the better, too. Still, it’s difficult to juggle it all. On one hand, you show your kids that education is important, and on the other, you spend less time with your family. Is it a decision you’ve been contemplating? If you have gone back to school, are you happy with your decision? And if you’re thinking of going, what’s holding you back? Some parents must come up with sensible reasons for going back to school. They feel that they are under-educated and might not be able to help their children with their home work. No parent wants to seem inferior when it comes to helping their child with work that will help them advance in life. Some children beg their parents to go back to school just so they can feel proud of them. The parents have difficulty managing the household budgets because they are incapable of adding bills up properly. Going back to school would prove very beneficial to the entire family because the money paid for past due account charges could be diverted to buying nice things for the family to use like new furniture, clothing and food. Some parents might choose to go back to school because they want to learn a new career. They feel stagnated and trapped because they do not enjoy the job that they do and feel no real future in what they are doing everyday. By going back to school and learning a trade that they have a passion for, it is very likely that things at home will not seem so tough. The family will have more things to enjoy because there will be more money to spend after the parent earns a degree. There are some parents that go back to school and know that they will never have to sit in a classroom with students that are not in their age group. They have found that they can spend time at home with their young children and complete online college courses at odd times throughout the day. When the baby takes a nap, the Mother could have time to finish off several chapters in a textbook and answer the questions because they have had time to learn the material. Some people have learning disabilities that hinder the possibilities of ever being able to go back to school. The accessibility of computers has been very beneficial in allowing them to use keyboards and attend classes through online college programs. Many people with hearing disabilities are afforded the opportunity to transmit answers using their home telephone. These people cherish the opportunity to go back to school and feel like they have accomplished a major feat when they receive their diplomas and degrees. Children will be very motivated when they go back to school if they see how hard their parents study. They come to realize that anything is possible if enough effort is put in to achieving a goal. The parents routine might not change at all and the children will be amazed to see that their parent has their homework finished on time. When the children go back to school, they will study harder and longer than they ever did before because they feel that if their parent can do it, there should be no reason that they couldnt do it too. Education is a must to get a good start on life Imagine the future: All those bright young teens right out of high school, gathered on a college campus for a year or more of advanced study to prepare themselves for their future careers. All of them want to end poverty, raise literacy rates, eradicate diseases, reverse global warming, develop ventures for world peace – there isn’t any cause too big for them. They have the energy and drive, they have a fountain of wisdom and connections and experience. Now, all they want is credentials and knowledge to take their leadership a step further. Don’t you want to be like those bright, young, shiny-eyed kids? Do you want to go out there and do something with your life but the pressure of searching for a good yet affordable college is just bogging you down? Well here are a couple of tips to take that load off you chest: How to go about choosing a good college? †¢ Examine yourself and the reason why you want to go college – Before you start your search ask yourself why you really want to go to college. What are your skills and abilities? What are your possible weaknesses? What do you want to become in life? – Do the answers sound real or abstract to you? Talk to friends and family and counselors. †¢ Your college doesn’t really have to be bigger than your high school – Who said bigger is better? Most colleges have a population that’s fewer than 5,000. College time is the time to explore, since it is a smaller community than high school, it is more favorable to internal exploring. It isn’t about the number of people going to a college, but about the kind of people and communities that actually matter. Most large universities have well established ‘honors colleges’ for these same reasons. †¢ A renowned college does not guarantee success – Graduates and employers are looking for experience and exceptional skills, not a college thoroughbred. When you’re searching for colleges, enquire about student outcomes, and you will find that there are many so called ‘unknown’ colleges that have outperformed those reputed Ivy League’s and other renowned colleges. Visit the National Survey of Student Engagement for more information. College can be affordable – If you think that colleges are exorbitantly expensive because of the tuition, then you will be missing out on a lot. Try looking for other options and ask for advice and help in matters that perplex you, and you will find some very affordable options. Online websites and other financial aid workshops that are sponsored by high schools are freely available. University and college fin ancial aid websites provide information and links too. | Good advice Trent! I did this last year†¦ quit my cushy well-paying job to go back to school. I want to be a doctor. Have for most of my life, but ended up an accountant, so now I’m doing the undergrad work necessary to get into med school. It’s expensive and rough but I LOVE it. The things I did to get ready included making sure I was completely debt free and having multiple avenues of financing available (working during full time school is not an option for me). I also made sure to â€Å"disaster proof† my world. What the heck do I mean? full insurance on my house vehicle so that I pay for normal, routine, MINOR maintenance only. And I do that maintenance religiously. my appliances were all within 5 years of the end of their useful life so I bought new/newer ones†¦ scratch dent sales are great places to find new energy efficent but cheaper appliances. the roof, the furnace and the hotwater tank were all at or beyond their normal useful lives so over 2 years I replaced them all. Now I’m at a point where if anything goes disastrously wrong , it’s an insurance claim and I have a minimum of my deductible in an emergency fund. Oh, I think it also bears mentioning that I thought about this change for 2 years before beginning to prepare for it†¦ and spent a further 3 years doing what I listed above. This isn’t something I jumped into lightly and no one should. That said†¦ Amanda, DO IT! You’ll be happier for it. Money isn’t everything happiness is. Christine @ 11:16 am September 6th, 2008 (comment #1) You can also consider going to school in Canada! 🙂 In Canada you can get a private college education at a community college price. Success Professor @ 11:18 am September 6th, 2008 (comment #2) Trent, I have a degree in Political Science, and if you’re interested in being involved in community affairs DO NOT STUDY POLITICAL SCIENCE. Michelle @ 12:21 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #3) I’m in politics, even with a degree in American Lit. Working campaigns opens up a lot of doors to working in politics, especially if your candidate ends up winning. I don’t really think you need a poli sci degree, it’s more having good instincts. Angie @ 12:29 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #4) Trent, as someone who has a degree in Political Science, don’t do if you’re interested in local and state politics. It’s much more about how the structure of government affects people. It’s very academic. You’ll spend a lot of time learning how to make computer models of rational choice theory. If you’re interested in really doing something in government, try a Master’s of Public Administration. That’s where you’ll get into how government policy (different from the structure) affects people. And as an elected official, it will help you work with bureaucracy much more effectively. Seriously, if you want to talk about what a Poli Sci degree is all about, e-mail me. Don’t get me wrong, my Poli Sci stuff was fascinating, and I really enjoyed it, but as a background for public service, it’s not going to help you much. FYI. Michelle @ 12:29 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #5) Unless you need a professional credential, like a nursing degree, medical degree, or law degree, I’d be wary of going back to school. A lot of people do this because they feel the need for a structure to their learning, and because they feel insecure and want to get more credentials before trying for a job in their new desired field. Because of the economy, even more people are going back to school to try to get a credential and get a better job. But except for the professional degrees, this just expensively delays the inevitable — that you’ll need to start at a lower-level job in the field and learn the practicalities on the job. It’s a very expensive way of getting a not very useful degree. I teach at a university, and I see people returning to school and racking up debt every day doing this. I think it’s more sensible to start at a lower-level job in the field and have THEM pay YOU while you learn. Faculties @ 12:34 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #6) Another couple of things to consider if you decide to go back to school: First, don’t rule any school out until you have filed the FAFSA for federal financial aid. The FAFSA determines how much the government thinks your family contribution should be, and quite often, an expensive private school will come up with aid to make it no more (or hardly more) expensive than a public school. So find out what your aid package will be, then decide which school to attend. I see a lot of folks who rule out certain schools out of hand, and don’t apply, assuming it’s unaffordable. Second, if you know you want out of your current field, and you don’t know what you do want, your local community college probably has free interest surveys and job information, along with friendly advisors to explain them to you. Check it out. Life is too short to do something you hate. P. S. To Faculties: That’s great if you can do it, but you would not believe how many employers today require specific training in the field before they will consider you for any job. Then, of course, they tell you to forget everything you learned in school and do it their way, but it’s hard to get people to look at you with an unrelated degree and experience today. SBT @ 1:44 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #7) Trent, you might want to look into a degree or classes in public administration. I was amazed at how often this degree came up when I was looking at job requirements for public sector positions. I was actually weighing the pros and cons of dropping out of grad school before I got into any debt in a degree I realized would have no professional benefit (as I had learned that teaching at the university level did not interest me). Anne @ 2:09 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #8) I went back to school at age 30. I had a masters’ degree in fine art but I wanted to go to grad school and study physics. The first thing I realized was that I did not have to get another bachelors’ degree; I went to school part-time and took all the physics and math courses a physics major would take. That was enough to get into a pretty good grad school. Secondly, I was fortunate enough to get a job as a typist at the school I wanted to attend, so my classes were free. My bosses were flexible and let me work my hours around my classes (which technically wasn’t allowed, but I was a good worker and a good student). Because I already had a degree, it would have been impossible for me to get financial aid, so the free tuition was a godsend. Finally, you might look into attending a school with a co-op program. Ideally, you would have a semester of classes followed by a semester of paid work in your intended field. This helps you pay for your schooling and also gives a taste of what the real world will be like once you graduate. Brigid @ 2:39 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #9) Folowing up on Faculties (#6): Trent, you are your own best example of how you can get into a desired field without going for an appropriate degree (unless it’s required, as for medicine or law or nursing). An amazing number of people want to be writers and think the only way to go is to enroll in an MFA writing program, which takes two or three years and usually costs thousands. Then — ta-da — they will be certified writers. But you have become a real writer without first jumping the expensive hurdle of the MFA. You just went ahead and did it. And here you are. It didn’t take an advanced degree to get you here. Anna @ 2:42 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #10) I, too, have a degree in Political Science. While it was interesting, I would not advise going back to school to get a degree in it. If you are interested in political theory, get some of the major thinkers (Locke, Rousseau, etc. ) from the library. I learned more about how politics works in actual practice by volunteering. Karen M @ 3:03 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #11) I agree with the â€Å"Do it now! † after two years out of university, working in marketing and PR, I realised that the job was slowly sucking the life out of me and making me into a person I didn’t want to be. I decided to leap ship and become an English and Drama teacher (high school level). It can be difficult, I lost a less than supportive boyfriend along the way, but as a wise friend told me â€Å"There’s always going to be a million reasons not to do it and always one great reason to do it†¦ this is your life, you don’t get to live it twice†. I spent some time at my old high school and knew it was the right career for me. I’ve done well in my english lit papers this year and have just received my acceptance into the teacher’s college! I feel so much more happier and alive following my dreams as opposed to running the corporate rat race 🙂 Scribbles @ 3:40 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #12) Amanda, as a working RN I would adv