Education First

Hello Readers! 

Please allow me a moment to introduce myself. My name is Megan Kirsch and I am an Academic Advisor with The College Network. I have been providing program support, content assistance, and motivation for customers since September 2009. 

Originally from Chicago, Illinois I relocated to Indianapolis, Indiana to pursue my B.S. degree in Secondary Education with an English concentration from Butler University. I graduated in 2006 and have remained in Indianapolis since. I earned my teaching license and taught at the middle school and high school levels for a few years, when professionally I decided on a different path. 

Education has always been my passion and I believe that everyone has the ability to be successful with their educational endeavors, no matter which path is taken (traditional, online, public, or private).

By reading my blog, I hope you ponder, question, and evaluate your educational goals and hopefully become motivated to move forward with your dreams of becoming a better YOU! 

Take care,
Megan

I was (and proudly still am) a huge nerd growing up. I loved to read anything I could get my hands on that was remotely fascinating. During my sophomore year of high school, I became obsessed with education and learning as I set my sights on teaching. I stumbled upon Howard Gardner’s book, Multiple Intelligences and became enthralled with his theories. I always knew that I was intelligent in some areas more than others (Do not ever ask me for math help, your third grader could help you more than me!) and I liked how Gardner explained and recognized this theory.  Below is a synopsis of his theories and applicable study tips to help you with your program from The College Network:

Word Smart (Linguistic intelligence) – Word smart people are good with words, letters, and phrases. They enjoy activities such as reading, playing scrabble or other word games, and having discussions. If you’re word smart, these study strategies can help:

• make flashcards
• take extensive notes
• keep a journal of what you learn

Number Smart (logical-mathematical intelligence) - Number smart people are good with numbers, equations, and logic. They enjoy coming up with solutions to logical problems and figuring things out. If you’re number smart, give these strategies a try:

• make your notes into numeric charts and graphs
• use the Roman numeral style of outlining
• put information you receive into categories and classifications that you create

Picture Smart (spatial intelligence) – Picture smart people are good with art and design. They enjoy being creative, watching movies, and visiting art museums. Picture smart people can benefit from these study tips:

• sketch pictures that go along with your notes or in the margins of your textbooks
• draw a picture on a flashcard for each concept or vocabulary word you study
• use charts and graphic organizers to keep track of what you learn

Body Smart (Kinesthetic intelligence) – Body smart people work well with their hands. They enjoy physical activity such as exercise, sports, and outdoor work. These study strategies can help body smart people be successful:

• act out or imagine the concepts you need to remember
• look for real-life examples that demonstrate what you’re learning about
• search for manipulatives, such as computer programs, that can help you master material

Music Smart (Musical intelligence) – Music smart people are good with rhythms and beats. They enjoy listening to music, attending concerts, and creating songs. If you’re music smart, these activities can help you study:

• create a song or rhyme that will help you remember a concept
• listen to classical music while you study
• remember vocabulary words by linking them to similar-sounding words in your mind

People Smart (Interpersonal intelligence) – Those who are people smart are good with relating to people. They enjoy going to parties, visiting with friends, and sharing what they learn. People smart students should give these strategies a try:

• discuss what you learn with a friend or family member
• have someone quiz you before an exam
• create or join a study group

Self Smart (Intrapersonal intelligence) – Self smart people are comfortable with themselves. They enjoy being alone to think and reflect. If you’re self smart, try these tips:

• keep a personal journal about what you’re learning
• find a place to study where you won’t be interrupted
• keep yourself involved in assignments by individualizing each project

Recently, I had an interesting conversation with a customer of The College Network regarding her study habits and how she prepares for exams. She had progressed at a moderate pace and is doing quite well with her exams. She is like most of our customers, a working mother pursuing her degree who has to balance her job, family, and schooling.

She mentioned the other day that she found a creative way to study. Apparently, she has her children (who are between the ages of 10-14) read her Comprehensive Learning Module lessons to her while she is preparing dinner or cleaning the kitchen. She divulged that she does this mainly as a “punishment” option; however I advised this is a creative use of time for all!

As I explained to her, while she gains the benefits of hearing the module information (as she is an Auditory learner), her children are also gaining practice with building their reading comprehension and fluency. Winners all around! Not only are there educational benefits, but she is able to spend time with her children.  I also advised that she can keep this practice going with reviewing key terms. She can quiz her children on their vocabulary words and they can quiz her.

Pursuing any education program does take a huge time commitment, however with a little creativity, you do not have to let the other responsibilities in your life fall to the way side.

If you need assistance with other creative study suggestions, please contact our Customer Support department at 1-800-634-1443.

Running with the theme from earlier this week regarding study tips for auditory learners, I did not want to leave out our tactile/kinesthetic friends to! Below you can find some study strategies that are helpful for those learners who learn best with their hands and by “doing”:

● Hold the book/module/chapter in your hand while reading (instead of laying it on a table)

● Write while you are reading (or take notes after you read each section)

● Practice breathing slowly

● Write with fingers in sand

● Write lists repeatedly (great for learning vocabulary words!)

● Use a computer to reinforce learning by using the sense of touch (Our online Resource Center is perfect!)

● Use rhythm (beats) to memorize information

● Make flashcards for each step in a procedure. Put the cards in order until the sequence becomes automatic.

● And of course, any time a learner can physically implement what they are studying, the better!

While I am primarily a visual learner, I do need to be physically involved in the learning process if I am ever going to retain new information. This means I need to touch/hold the information I need to read and retain. Our Comprehensive Learning Modules are available online on our Resource Center to print either in their entirety or a chapter at a time through "Printable Resources". Note-taking, hi-lighting, and creating flashcards are also hands-on activities to aid in the learning process that I personally use and recommend.

As always, if you need study assistance in preparation for your exams, please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Support team at 1-800-634-1443.

 

As an Academic Advisor, I speak with customers on a daily basis who ask for more information on how to study best. As a visual learner myself, I have a ton of tricks and tips for similar learners. I thought it may be helpful to provide some suggestions for those of the auditory learning persuasion.

Below are some effective study tips for auditory learners:

 

 

* Read explanations out loud.

* Make up songs to go along with the subject matter.

* Say words in syllables.

* Record notes/new material on a tape/MP3 player and review while driving or  exercising.

 * Use mnemonics and words links.

* Make up and repeat rhymes to remember facts, dates, names, etc.

* Explain the material you are trying to learn to a study partner

If you are a current customer of The College Network, I encourage you to peruse our Discussion Forum to locate a study partner working on the same program and/or Comprehensive Learning Module as you. You can access the Discussion Forum through the Online Resource Center (http://tcnrc.collegenetwork.com).

As always, if you need study assistance in preparation for your exams, please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Support team at 1-800-634-1443. 

Flashcards have long been debated in education on whether they are an effective learning tool for students. With any learning method or study aid, correct usage is paramount in determining effectiveness. Personally, I feel flashcards can be extremely useful when used correctly. Flashcards have helped me and others I know learn a plethora of vocabulary words and definitions, key concepts, and formulas. Below are some benefits of using flashcards:

1. They engage the learner in active recall: When you use flashcards, you force yourself to remember a word or concept from scratch.

2. They help us space learning over time: Flashcards are meant to be reviewed on a consistent basis over a period of time. For example, one could review their  flashcards for vocabulary words 20 minutes a day/5 days a week until the terms have been mastered. 

3. They engage our metacognitive faculties: When you reveal the answer side of a flashcard to access the accuracy of your response, you are essentially asking yourself, “How did my answer compare to the correct answer?” This act is known as metacognition which helps to ingrain memories.

4. They allow for a self-directed, personalized study experience: With the use of flashcards, adults have control over the materials they are studying. You can create the flashcards to fit your personal study habits and needs. There are no guidelines! 

5. They help us gauge our progress: With flashcards, we are able to set numerical benchmarks. It is easy to set goals based on how many terms/concepts you master when reviewing your cards. 

Ideas for Flashcards:

* Create flashcards for all vocabulary terms located within your reading section.

* For math courses, wrote the math formula on one side and an example on the other.

* For the visual learner: utilize pictures/diagrams instead of words. For example: For someone studying Anatomy and Physiology, create flashcards with different parts of the body to recognize by sight.

As always, for assistance with your online education program and for further study assistance please contact our Customer Support team at 1-800-634-1443.

 

I don’t know about you, but I never jump in the water without testing the temperature first. I learned my lesson the hard way when I was younger and dove into a lake on a warm day, not realizing that the temperature had been below 60 for the last few months. Can you say, cold? 

In order to be successful with your studies, you have to “test the water” first by creating a plan for your study sessions. The time and effort you place on preparing to study is almost as important as the time you will spend studying. Below is a guide for how you can create an effective study plan for yourself. The information is tailored for use of our Comprehensive Learning Modules:

1. Determine how much time you would like to spend on your module. On average, most modules can be completed within 4–6 weeks. However, in order to successfully master the content in preparation for passing the exam, this time frame may need to be extended depending on your study schedule availability.

 2. Determine frequency and length of study sessions. Each learner’s availability varies, sometimes from week to week. Do not overextend yourself in regard to  your study sessions as this will be counterproductive. If you can normally study five days a week but find that in one particular week you have many work and family obligations, restructure your study sessions to two days that week.

3. Organize the material into “chunks”. It is best to look at the material on a weekly basis. If you are able to study five days a week for at least an hour each day, it is very possible to complete 3–4 chapters a week. If you know you will probably need to review more for a particular subject, you may want to aim to complete two chapters in a week as you will spend more time reading and   reviewing each chapter.

4. Prepare to study each chapter. Remind yourself that you will want to cover the chapter objectives and key terms for each chapter. You will also want to study in    an appropriate environment and have all the necessary tools available to aid in your studies (pens, highlighters, sticky-notes, etc.).

5. Read. Simply put, determine how much you plan to read each study session. Remember, you want to limit each study session to 45 minutes. You can have multiple study sessions each day if needed.

 6. Review: It is best to start off each new study session with a review of the previous session. If you completed a chapter your last study session, review the previous chapter’s end-of-chapter questions prior to starting the next chapter. If  you are in the middle of a chapter when you stop a study session, you will want to  review the chapter objectives and key terms before resuming the chapter.

As always, you can contact The College Network's amazing Customer Support team at 1-800-634-1443 for further explanation or to create a specific plan for courses. 

For once, traffic was not too congested on my way to work the other day, so I was afforded the luxury of stopping by the Starbucks near the office for a caffeine lift. While waiting on my drink, I noticed a young woman studying. I was surprised to see someone focusing on academics at 7:30 in the morning, but impressed nonetheless. That is, until I glanced at the textbook and realized it was covered in brightly colored markings in its entirety. It looked as if this individual highlighted every sentence, in every paragraph, on every page. And that reminded me of a technique that I share with customers at The College Network that I’d like to reiterate here.

Highlighting doesn’t automatically connect the dots for the learner. There has to be a purpose for the highlighting otherwise you just end up with pages that look as if Rainbow Bright herself hijacked your text book. Below are some suggestions pertinent to our Comprehensive Learning Modules in regards to effective Highlighting:

• Highlight information that is difficult to comprehend at first or is surprising or brand new information. This will cue the learner to revisit the particular section during review.
• Color-code the objectives with different color highlighters or pens. When the answer to the objective appears in the chapter section, then mark, highlight, or underline the information. This also makes it easier for learners to go back and review information later.
• Highlight the main ideas (“thesis statement” or gist) of paragraph or section. This works best when learners can then reword this section in their own words.

Remember: Highlight with a purpose! 

If someone asked you if you knew how to study, what would your answer be?

For me it would depend on when that question was asked. Prior to college, I would have responded yes. It wasn't until I entered college that I realized I never learned how to study. For some reason, I was able to coast through my secondary education without having to truly study. I enjoyed writing papers, and participating in debates, but few classes really required “study time.”

Like any college freshman, I struggled initially with my studies. I figured that college would be a mere more aggressive high school experience, and I would fly through it as long as I showed for class and did what was expected. I was completely wrong. Trying to balance an 18-hour course load with multiple literature courses, plus a science, math, and philosophy course proved too much and I fell quickly behind. I was failing my science and math courses almost immediately because I couldn’t retain the information properly. It was then that I realized that I didn’t know how to study effectively and many students do not know how to effectively study. I was a good student in the transition scope that I had excellent attendance and test scores, but I really wasn’t absorbing or retaining the information. Luckily I had a great roommate who was able to teach me some great strategies and help me organize my information so that I could overcome my studying obstacles.

I was reminded of this scenario while speaking with a current Associate in Nursing customer who is also realizing that what had worked previously in high school, LPN school, and other college courses, wasn’t working for her now. I had to ensure her that she can be successful, but she has to be flexible and open to new learning experiences. After discussing her schedule and her learning style, we worked out a game plan that will not only incorporate study strategies she was used to doing, but new strategies that should help her overcome her current obstacle with memorization.

Learning is an independent process in itself regardless of the path one takes to achieving a certification or degree. Each of us is responsible for our own learning. However, one of the great aspects of starting a program with The College Network is our Academic Support team. We’ve all complete a college program and know how hard it can be to overcome obstacles. Sometimes all you need is someone to talk to who’s been there to point you in the right direction. 

As an Academic Advisor in the Customer Support department with The College Network it is always exciting to follow a customer’s progress from beginning to end. I had the privilege of working closely with a particular customer throughout the majority of her Associate’s in Nursing program whom has just informed me that she completed her ASN and successfully passed her RN Boards.

Karen Walton from Saginaw, Michigan signed with The College Network in September 2009. While I was a new advisor and she a new customer, she trusted me enough to help guide her through her program. Although personal hurdles almost hindered her dream of attaining her associate degree in nursing, and at times she felt like giving up, she persevered and accomplished her goal. I asked that she let me help her, because I knew she would be able to complete her program. Through weekly and then monthly emails regarding her progress, assisting her with her content questions, and overall motivation and support, Karen was able to forge ahead.  Karen not only completed her program within 24 months, but she passed all 12 of her exams on the first attempt! Karen’s story demonstrates that anything is possible if you want it enough. I couldn’t be more proud of her.

It’s moments like these that inspire me and reinforce my decision to dedicate my professional life to the education of others. There is no better feeling in the world than knowing someone else has obtained the same dream I was able to attain, a college degree.

Congratulations again, Karen from not only myself but the entire TCN Family! I wish you nothing but the best in all of your future endeavors! 

 Having the ability to self assess one’s knowledge is a skill that few possess shy of personal bias. Often times we believe we know more than we actually do, especially if we have invested a significant amount of time and energy into learning a new skill or trade. However, have you ever read a news article, novel, or even a blog post and a moment later couldn't reiterate the main idea no matter how hard you tried? 

While you may have successfully completed the act of reading, you didn't absorb the information at a level which would allow you to comprehend and retain the information. This happens quite frequently with scholastic endeavors which is why periodic assessment is paramount! 

The wonderful aspect about our Comprehensive Learning Modules located in our Online Resource Center is that they contain a variety of self assessment tools that learners can use to gauge their level of understanding. From an interactive-key term feature to end of chapter quizzes and comprehensive practice exams, our modules offer each independent learner the opportunity to determine how well they understood the material they reviewed versus believing they think they understood. Even having an internal dialog with yourself asking, “What did I just read?” periodically while reviewing your information can be most helpful in progressing with your studies.

As always, contact our amazing Customer Support team at The College Network by calling 1-800-634-1443 if you ever need assistance with your Comprehensive Learning Modules. 

A key to success with any educational endeavor one undertakes is motivation. With any post-secondary program, there is no one forcing you to enroll in a program, attend class or study, complete assignments, and graduate. It is up to each of us to remember the reason why we desired a higher level of education in the first place to keep us going. For many, the possibility of a better way of life motivates us to continue past any periods of struggle and frustration.

If you have reached a plateau with your studies, have you asked yourself: “Why did I choose to begin this program to begin with?” With all the demands of life we can easily lose sight of the things we want and focus on the tasks to accomplish and we become our own worst-enemies. As we get older, expectations set upon us increase, families are born, job responsibilities mount, and we tend to put ourselves last. It’s time that we all begin to put ourselves first! Bettering ourselves as individuals will positively affect all aspects of our lives.

While our distance nursing programs do allow the convenience of working at your own pace on your own schedule, if you need someone in your corner to assure you that you can be successful, contact Academic Support. We Care about your success and the Academic Support team is only a phone call, email, or web chat away.

If you have not yet chosen an educational path to obtain a convenient RN license, advance your nursing education with a BS in Nursing or become an MSN, please call 1-800-39-LEARN for more information on our amazing programs. 

I’ll leave with the following quote from famous author Ayn Rand from the critically acclaimed novel, The Fountainhead: “The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.“

When it comes to your education, don’t let anyone get in your way. 

Happy New Year to all! 

January at The College Network is a busy month! The beginning of a new year, means new resolutions. And what better resolution for self improvement that resolving to further ones education? 

One of the greatest aspects of the online degree programs offered by The College Network is the ability to progress at your own pace. With programs that are good for ones lifetime, busy adults can start and pause their studies around their busy schedules. 

For those current customers out there reading this, how long has it been since you've contacted the Academic Support department to learn about any updates to your program or for help gaining assistance with getting restarted with your studies? The Academic Support department is available for customers Monday-Thursday 8:00am-9:00pm EST and on Friday 8:00am-8:00pm EST.  We're merely a phone call away and all of us in Academic Support would love the opportunity to share with you the great enhancements we have made to our products and services! Call 1-800-634-1443 to speak with an Academic Advisor. 

And for those of you who have not yet decided whether The College Network is right for you, please take the time to view information on our website at www.collegenetwork.com or call 1-800-39-LEARN to hear about all the programs available. 

Now is the time, what are you waiting for?