Support at TCN | The College Network

Your Guide to Ein Peck

Hello everyone!

My name is Ein and I am an Academic Advisor at The College Network.

Although I'm originally from Marion, Indiana, I moved to Indianapolis about a year ago, after completing my B.A. in History at Wabash College. I really enjoy living in Indianapolis and all that it has to offer to a twenty-something like myself. When I'm not at The College Network providing academic support, I like to spend my time watching and playing soccer, trying new restaurants, and being outside. I also love red apple jelly belly beans and bacon (separately of course), in case you ever want to give me a present.

I'm very excited to be able to communicate to you all on a regular basis. I plan to post weekly and hope to cover a wide range of topics. I hope everyone finds my blog insightful, humorous, and most of all I hope that you find it to be useful.

So thanks for stopping in and I hope to talk to you soon!

Ein Peck

Continuing Nursing Education

Monday, February 20, 2012 by Ein Peck

I have always had school sickness, as others have seasickness. I cried when it was time to go back to school long after I was old enough to be ashamed of such behavior. -Jacques Derrida

Although it can definitely be intimidating, school should not be dreaded. With education you'll enhance your understanding of the world around you and allow yourself to become more specialized in your career.

While you may not always look forward to going back for your continuing education, it is a part of life.

Fortunately, I have some good news.

Did you know that The College Network is accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation to offer Continuing Education contact hours?

This accreditation means that you are able to take your Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) courses online through The College Network!

For more information about self-paced education and training, give us a call today. 1-800-39-LEARN

How to Physically Prepare for an Exam

Tuesday, February 14, 2012 by Ein Peck

So you're finally ready for that first exam.

You've spent the last 4 weeks studying with The College Network. You've read your entire module, scored 90% or higher on each of your practice quizzes, passed both of your practice exams, and scheduled your exam.

Now, it's the day before and you start to think "Oh no, I don't know what to do".

"Should I stay up all night drinking coffee and shotgunning red bulls in one hand, Chemistry book in the other?"

"Should I go to sleep at 5:00pm and try to sleep till noon, that way I'm completely rested?"

"Maybe I should re-do all the quizzes once more and then re-read as much Chemistry as possible."

While some of these things may sound/look ridiculous, it isn't the first time I've heard of people attempting them. I'm here to tell you that the best way to prepare for an exam is to continue to follow a relatively normal routine.

Try to get a good night of sleep - around 8 hours.
Eat a well balanced breakfast. (My favorite: Eggs, scrambled with avocado and just a little bit of cheese, turkey sausage, and an apple.)
Arrive early--This way you avoid any stress from getting lost or preparing your work space.
Be confident!

If you have prepared for your exam by learning the material and can follow these easy steps, you should have no problem.

Good luck!

Why You Should Become a Paralegal

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 by Ein Peck

Have you ever wanted to get into the law field but didn't have the time or money for law school?

Law school can be very daunting. It requires a ton of dedication and is definitely not cheap.

So what am I getting at?

Well, it's not too late to get into the law field. You could become a paralegal. It's not a secret that paralegals are a necessary part of an attorney's office. Paralegals work directly under the supervision of a lawyer and assist with almost every aspect of the law field.

As an added bonus, not only do paralegals get paid well ($42,000 on average), but recent statistics have shown that there will be a 28% increase in the need for paralegals over the

http://theparalegal.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/tbh_indispensableparalegal_lowres.jpg

next 8 years.

"Sounds great, so what's the catch?"

The catch is that in most situations you can't just walk into an attorney's office with no experience or law background and become a paralegal.

So how can you get this experience/education?

By speaking with The College Network, of course! The College Network partners with Boston University to offer a 100% online, paralegal certificate program that only takes 14 weeks.

Would you like to learn more? Of course, you would!

Send me an email (mpeck@collegenetwork.com) or give me a call today at (800) 307-1006 ext. 4786 to learn more.

Education=Future

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 by Ein Peck

The other day during a meeting with some of my coworkers, I heard a wonderful quote that I wanted to share with all of you.

"Education is not the easiest thing you will ever do, but it can be the most rewarding."
- Dawn S.

Wow.

What an appropriate quote to describe The College Network. Whether you are working on your Paralegal Certificate or you MS in Nursing Education, it will not be easy, however it will be worth it.

To invest in yourself is the most satisfying venture you can undertake. By completing an online degree program, you will improve quality of life for yourself and your family, you will show the importance of education to your children, and you will feel the fulfillment that comes with reaching your goals.

So what more is there to think about? Call The College Network today to learn how you change your life for the better.

We'll look forward to speaking with you soon!

Ein Peck

Setting the Bar

Friday, January 13, 2012 by Ein Peck

As many of you already know, a new year is a time for new promises. Each year, many people (myself included) set goals or resolutions for themselves which can oftentimes be very unrealistic.

"In 2012 I vow to lose 3000 lbs"
"In 2012 I vow to win the lottery"
"In 2012 I vow to stop watching Jersey Shore"

These goals oftentimes lead to disappointment in one's self at a later date. Hopefully their goals last longer than a month, but some don't even make it past January before they are back to Jersey Shore's GTL routine (Gym, Tan, Laundry).

When I see people (friends & family included) fall short of their goal, even I sometimes feel sorry for them. Why would you set these ridiculous goals for yourself that you would never have a chance of sticking to?

"Okay Ein, what's your point?"

My point is that you don't have to fail in your goals. Start by making your goals realistic in the first place.

"Okay, well how do I do that?"

Let me explain.

Sure, it's easy to want to lose weight but how should you go about it? In a goal like weight loss, your best option is to start small. If you live on fast food, make an attempt to switch to healthier fast food e.g. a salad or even consider not eating that "biggie sized" fry. Eventually your goal would be to cut fast food out entirely, but you MUST start small.

"So what does all this have to do with The College Network?"

The College Network offers you the opportunity to establish realistic goals. Since our online degree programs are entirely self-paced, this gives you the option to start small. Your goal shouldn't be to receive your Associate of Science in Nursing degree by tomorrow. If you are thinking small, your goal should be to establish an understanding of your keywords tomorrow.

With the help of our talented Academic Support department, you will be able to create a study plan that is customized to your schedule and your needs. We are here to help you reach your goals.

So make 2012 the last year for unfilled promises call The College Network today at 1-800-39-LEARN to learn more about our self-paced online degrees from top universities.

We Have Room!

Friday, December 16, 2011 by Ein Peck

With the growing desire for more nurses to obtain their Bachelor's of Science in Nursing, programs are filling up very quickly.

According to an article from the US News University Directory website, "Preliminary data from the report [completed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing] shows that in 2011, about 51,082 qualified students were turned away from 503 entry-level bachelor's degree nursing programs."

Why are these programs filling up so quickly?

Job security.

According to the same article, which can be found here, "The report shows that students who hold bachelor's-level credentials in nursing are more than twice as likely to have a job at the time of graduation than students who earned degrees in other fields."

In case you skimmed the article and my blog (shame on you!), it states that BSN graduates are more than TWICE as likely to have a job at GRADUATION.

So this is great news right? Well, potentially. Keep in mind these programs are filling up quickly if not already overflowing.

So you ask, "Ein, how can I get my BSN with no fear of being turned away?"

I'm glad you asked. The College Network not only offers a program for LPN to BS in Nursing from Indiana State University but we also offer RN to BS in Nursing programs from Regis University and Indiana State University.

Would you like some more good news?

We have NO waiting list.

Would you like more information about how you can earn your BSN degree?

Call 1-800-39-LEARN today to learn about all the programs we offer!

Thank You

Tuesday, December 13, 2011 by Ein Peck

As the holidays quickly approach, I find myself pondering my potential plans.

Whose house will I be at on which day, what will we do for New Year's Eve, what presents will I be ~~getting~~ giving, etc.

While considering my plans, I had a sudden realization: Nurses have to work EVERY day. There are ZERO days off in the field of medicine. Someone has to be there 365 days a year.

So while the rest of country is taking a break to visit with families and friends, nurses are working hard to take care of their patients.

Although I've currently never been injured or hospitalized on a holiday, I can almost guarantee someone I know has.

So thank you for continuing to work hard, when most are not.

Thank You!

Congratulations and Good Luck!

Friday, December 9, 2011 by Ein Peck

Congratulations to Leigh W. from Merritt Island, FL!

Leigh, who joined The College Network in August 2010, has recently finished all of his courses and passed his CPNE with Excelsior College for the ASN program. He is now preparing to take his RN NCLEX in January 2012.

Congratulations again Leigh, and good luck on your NCLEX exam from everyone here at The College Network!

To read about others who have finished the program, visit our The College Network website.

For more information on how to create your own success story, please contact a Program Advisor today to learn about higher education online. 1-800-39-LEARN

What Snow Day?

Monday, December 5, 2011 by Ein Peck

With the year coming up on my least favorite season once again, I think it's important to remember one of the major benefits of studying from home.

While snow, ice, and rain may be issues that students at a traditional "brick & mortar" college may have to deal with, you can remain worry-free at home in your pajamas (or Snuggie) while studying your materials.

At home in Indiana, we recently just had our first wake up call from winter. Even though I have lived here my entire life, it's always an unappreciated surprise to see just how cold December can be. In addition to a drop in temperature, December also brings snow which creates a whole new set of problems for your commute.

So turn on the fire place, make some hot chocolate and study freely knowing that you will not have to worry about any unexpected weather delays on your education.

If you are interested in learning more about online, weather free, self-paced learning, please do not hesitat to contact The College Network today at (800) 395-1014.

First Lab Grown Blood Transfusion

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 by Ein Peck

"The times, they are a-changing".

Unbelievable things are happening in the world of medical science. Recently the first patient ever was given lab-grown blood.

According to an article on Gizmodo.com, titled Patient Gets First Lab-Grown Blood Transfusion Ever, "a team from the Pierre and Marie Curie University, Paris, have made blood from bone marrow stem cells." Even more exciting, the transfusion was successful!

This is amazing news. Hopefully we can look to this scientific triumph to produce all of our blood in the future.

So, should you stop donating blood every 56 days? Not quite. While this is something that we should all look forward to, it's not anything that has swept the world...yet.

Please continue to save lives by donating blood.

Visit the Red Cross web site today, to find a donation center near you.

Keep Your Heads Up

Saturday, November 19, 2011 by Ein Peck

Are you an unemployed nurse?

Although times may be tough, there is hope. Forbes recently announced that Registered Nurses are at the top of the list for who is being hired the most.

According to Indeed.com, there are 132,283 job postings for Rn's. So if you are unemployed, keep your head up and keep applying! Jobs

The article, "Who's Getting Hired Right Now", states that "postings are a leading indicator for the job market, offering a forward-looking view of jobs that companies intend to fill".

Unemployed and not an RN? Call The College Network today to find out about our top online nursing programs.

Call (800) 395-1014 to speak to one of our Program Advisors today.

Lung Cancer Awareness Month

Tuesday, November 15, 2011 by Ein Peck

November is Lung Cancer Awareness month!

According to the Lung Cancer Alliance website, "Lung Cancer Awareness Month (LCAM) is a national campaign dedicated to increasing attention to lung cancer issue."

Lung cancer is a very serious problem throughout the world. It is said to be the leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States alone.

Some quick facts from the LCA website:

Lung cancer will kill:

More people than the next four deadly cancers... combined.
Over three times as many men as prostate cancer.
Nearly twice as many women as breast cancer.
An average of 437 people a day.

This is pretty terrifying news. So who is at risk for lung cancer? Unfortunately, just about everyone.

Although most of us associate lung cancer with tobacco (87% of lung cancer cases are from smoking alone), there are many other ways to get the disease. Currently there is no way to prevent it.

While most of us probably aren't going to wake up with lung cancer in the morning, it's important to know about the disease and how to detect it early on.

For more information, please visit the The Lung Cancer Alliance website.

"Be Prepared"

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 by Ein Peck

Although it is not currently mandatory in any state, there is discussion for a bachelor's degree requirement for all nurses. According to the article "Nursing Now a Matter of Degrees", there is now a push for New York to be the first state to enact higher education requirement.

Why this new requirement? Well according to the article, "Research has shown that patients fare better when care for by nurses with higher education levels."

Even though this will initially only affect New York there is hope to make this requirement national.

So what can you do to ensure your career is safe? To quote the scouts, "be prepared".

Give us a call today at (800) 395-1014 to see how you can get started today!

A Single Step

Monday, November 7, 2011 by Ein Peck

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” -Lao Tse

Wow.

Have you ever read something so true, but yet so simple?

Over the last couple of years, I've began to hear a lot of "what ifs", "could have beens", "if onlys", and "should haves".

Sure, it's nice to daydream about what could have been, but why can't you still pursue your dreams?

Just because you have a family/job/mortgage/busy life, does not mean you still can't follow your original plan of obtaining your nursing degree online, Bachelor's in Fire Science or Paralegal Certificate. It may be difficult, but even if you can only devote a half hour at a time, you are still making progress on your journey.

So call The College Network today to take your first step in your journey to fulfill your dreams, (800) 395-1014.

-Ein

International Infection Prevention Week

Thursday, October 27, 2011 by Ein Peck

As many of you may already know, October 16-22 marked the 25th anniversary of International Infection Prevention Week.

This year's theme, "Infection Prevention is Everyone's Business", encourages everyone to do their part in help prevent the spread of infection.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) offers these standard precautions to help prevent infection:

1) Hand hygiene
2) Use of personal protective equipment (e.g., gloves, gowns, masks)
3) Safe injection practices
4) Safe handling of potentially contaminated equipment or surfaces in the patient environment
5) Respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette.

To do your part in preventing infection and for more detailed information about each of these precautions, please visit the CDC Guide to Prevention.

Don't forget to wash your hands!

Loci of Control

Saturday, October 22, 2011 by Ein Peck

I read an article the other day about the future of my generation (college-educated, 20 somethings). It isn't hard to find them, they are all over the Internet. Most of them are fairly negative and it can sometimes be very discouraging. Many people who have my exact qualifications are struggling with or without jobs. It appears a dim future for some.

But this wasn't the case in the article I read. The article actually focused primarily on the importance of staying positive. It still addressed many of the usual concerns (debt, unemployment, feelings of self-entitlement), but it also addressed how many, despite the odds, were able to take control of their lives.

Although the article wasn't a radical idea, it did discuss something that really stuck with me. It brought up the social psychology concept: "locus of control".

While the phrase seemed to ring a bell, I couldn't exactly recall what it meant, off the top of my head. So for your convenience, Mosby's Medical Dictionary, 8th Edition defines the phrase as: "a center of perceived responsibility for one's behavior."

There are two different classifications to the term: internal and external. An internal locus of control refers to the idea that a person feels in control of the events happening in their life. An external locus of control refers to exactly the opposite, one feels that others have that control instead.

As I read this, I couldn't think of a more applicable topic for my blog.

So you ask, "how does this psychology concept apply to me, Ein?" Well, let me explain.

I believe the way you perceive that events happen to you has a lot to do with your success.

To me, if you feel that you have an external locus of control rather than feeling that you earn your success and failures, you believe that others are responsible. So rather than gaining the confidence one would normally receive from passing an exam, you may instead feel "well, I got lucky this time".

I don't know about all of you you, but based on my lottery scratch off experience, I wouldn't

want to leave my future to chance. Fortunately, it's not about luck with independent study programs. You get what you put into it. You should all feel an internal locus of control.

I can't stress enough the importance of studying and putting the necessary time into your program. Sure, it may be tough at times, but why should it be easy? In order to stand out from the crowd, you need to push yourself to succeed.

While times may be hard, just remember, you are preparing yourself for the future. By pursuing higher education online, not only are you improving your skill and education, but you are also securing your place in the workforce.

Take control of your future, contact The College Network today at 1-800-395-1014 to find out more about pursing self paced, online programs.

Congratulations!

Friday, October 14, 2011 by Ein Peck

Congratulations to both Annette S. from Pawling, NY and Sherry L. from East Berlin, PA for passing the Excelsior College Clinical Performance in Nursing Examination (CPNE), on their first try!

At The College Network, we are always delighted to hear how our customers are doing with their programs and about the progress they are making. So please do not hesitate to call in and update us on your progress!

Good luck to Annette and Sherry on the NCLEX-RN exam. Congratulations again - you have both earned it!

Moving? We'll be there when you're ready.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011 by Ein Peck

Just recently, I moved into the heart of Indianapolis. Some friends and I moved downtown.

While moving is always exciting, it can also be very daunting. Since we were on a time frame to get out of our old place, it was very rushed. Not only did we have to get all of our stuff out of our old place and into the new place, we also had to quickly and effectively clean the old place. Even though it was a bit of a pain, it all had to be done.

The real surprise begins when you start to unpack. Where did all of this junk come from? I’m only 23 and already, I have boxes of junk that I absolutely don’t need/use. I guess clean up/reduction is just part of the process.

While I was unpacking I started thinking about all of you - our customers at The College Network. I’m not the only one who moves from house to house. I’m sure many of you are also moving, whether for a job, or just to relocate.

Whatever the case, I want you to remember that even though moving takes time, PLEASE do not bury your study materials away. Set out reminders to log in to the online Resource Center where you will see them as soon as you are settled into your new place. Don’t give up on your dreams.

Even though you moved, your program can still be completed! Yes, you may need a slight postponement but as soon as you are ready, it’s important to be able to find your materials and get started again.

If you need help getting restarted or just want to verify your learning modules to make sure they are the most current version, please contact Academic Support right away! (800) 634-1443.

The College Network Testing

Friday, October 7, 2011 by Ein Peck

Do you ever have difficulty finding the time or location to take an exam while working toward your degree with help from The College Network? Is the nearby testing center open only on weekdays, while you're at work?

Would you rather test in your pajamas?

Well, we may have the answer you have been waiting for. The College Network is now offering our customers the ability to take their exams from the comfort of your own home!

What does this mean for you?

Rather than attempting to locate a testing center and schedule a test date, you can now actually test from home, 7 days a week, from 8:00am EST to 12:45 AM EST.

The only thing you need is Internet access and a web cam. If you don't have a web cam, we'll provide it to you!

For a full list of all the exams that can be taken with The College Network please go to our Test Fee Services website.

For more information, please contact Academic Support at (800) 634-1443 and ask about The College Network Testing.