Search 4 career colleges

Ever feel stressed about trying to balance school, work, family, and the hustle and bustle of everyday life? Procrastinating, feeling bogged down or having trouble figuring out where to start? It can be helpful to make a daily to-do list.

To-do lists often get a bad rap for being only for the super-organized. The truth is that a little organization can go a long way to help you make the best use of your time and accomplish your goals.

How to make an effective to-do list:

1. Include things that absolutely must be done and things you’d like to complete if time allows.
2. Next to each task, try to estimate how much time you plan to spend on that job. This will only take a couple minutes out of your day, but it can be a worthwhile investment, helping you manage your time and be more productive.
3. One thing to keep in mind – it’s important to not overbook yourself. Establishing a mile-long list can be counterproductive. Chances are you’ll only become overwhelmed by a daunting all-inclusive list.
4. Keep it reasonable. Avoid including tasks you know you won’t have time for that day.
5. Make a plan and then make an effort to follow it. You’ll not only feel more productive throughout the day; you’ll gain a feeling of achievement each time you cross an item off your list.

Planning for college can be an extremely stressful time. You, as a potential student, are flooded with options on where to go, what to study and, most importantly, the omnipresent, age-old question – “what do you want to be when you grow up?”

This question, while not always answerable, is asked of us because it is important to establish career goals. It is difficult to answer because the response often changes. I, for instance, have run through the generic answers – police officer and superhero – to the more considered answers – architect or graphic designer – to my final answer – copywriter.

Even though deciding on a career is important, so is your education. In fact, you may even learn more about what you enjoy while attending school. It is no secret that many students change their major at least once, if not several times. This same trend afflicts the job market – most people will change careers four to five times.

With this in mind, you may think that planning for a career is next to impossible – it isn’t.

Narrow the choices.

Investigate. Research your chosen major or career path to find out what exactly it entails. Then decide if it is a fit for your interests. In addition, find out what the outcomes are upon completion of various majors or career paths. By doing this, you may find a direction you had not previously considered.

Don’t be afraid. It is okay to attend college without declaring a major. As I said earlier, most people will change at least once, so why not get the general classes out of the way first. This will allow you more time to decide on a career path.

Be curious. Enroll in a class or course that sounds interesting to you. My passion for writing became apparent only after taking courses in creative writing and poetry.

Stay informed. Find out what industries – or more specifically, jobs – are in demand. This may help shed light on where you feel most secure.

Most importantly, never stop learning. A career is a lifelong process, not a one-time decision, and industries are constantly undergoing change. Read articles, books and information related to your career choice. This way, you can build your knowledge base and better position yourself as an expert in your field.

Going away to college does not rank high on the priority list for everyone, especially not for people who have the responsibilities of a family. However, the benefits of going to college to complete your degree might outweigh any discomfort or inconvenience.

If you desire to get ahead in life, whether it is for career advancement, financial security or your own personal fulfillment, going to college to complete your degree may be your best choice. Here are five reasons why completing your degree is not such a bad idea.

1. Those with a college degree earn more. You probably know that a college degree translates into a larger paycheck. What you might not have known is that the actual difference is in the millions over a course of a lifetime. That is a big deal when you consider that it takes less than four years to complete a degree, and many degree completion programs are accelerated to help you complete your degree faster.
2. College degrees lead to career advancement. Seven of the top ten fastest-growing careers in the nation require some sort of degree, whether it be an Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s or other professional program. Having a degree opens the door to career advancement quicker than anything else.
3. Completing your degree is not as expensive as you think. The cost of getting a college degree is rising, but so is the amount of financial aid available to help cover the cost of a college education. There are millions of dollars in private scholarships, federal grants and loans, and private grants and loans that you can take advantage of to pay for your education. You might even qualify for tuition reimbursement from your company. The money is available to pay for college; you just have to do a little research to find it.
4. Updating your professional skills keeps you competitive. Technology changes everyday, and with it, the daily duties of many jobs change as well. Completing your degree gives you an opportunity to study the changes in your industry while updating and improving your professional skills so you remain competitive in a dynamic market.
5. Completing your degree provides a sense of accomplishment. There are few feelings that are more satisfying than the sense of completion. You feel great just knowing you stuck it out, worked hard, completed the task and achieved your goal. Going to college might not be the easiest thing you will ever do, but completing your degree will certainly be one of the best – and smartest – things you have ever done.

The reigning assumption among many Americans is that teenagers go directly from high school to college, but that’s not the way life always works. Just 27 percent of Americans over age 25 hold Bachelor’s degrees or higher, according to 2004 census data. This has been in decline because of a new phenomenon in the job market.

“Increasingly, the days of blue-collar jobs that have lower educational and skill requirements but pay an outstanding wage are disappearing,” said Jerry Rubin, vice president of Jobs for the Future, a nonprofit research group that works with agencies to create job training programs.

But lack of a college degree doesn’t have to mean slogging for a pittance in a dead-end job, according to a recent report by JFF. The report details 15 jobs, all in growing industries, that pay more than $25,000 per year, are available to workers holding an Associate degree or less and don’t require a significant amount of previous work experience.

For instance, “registered nurse” tops the list of 15 jobs because it has the greatest number of projected annual job openings, but that job poses barriers for some lower-skilled entrants because this field tends to be highly competitive and requires full-time attendance at school. An alternative is to become a licensed practical nurse, another job on the list. Certification is often available through part-time training programs, making that occupation a more manageable entry point into the nursing field for working mothers or those needing to support a family.

• Together, these 15 occupations are projected to create more than 700,000 new jobs nationally each year, according to JFF.
• The jobs in the list are ranked by annual projected job openings.
• The dollar amount represents median earnings for each occupation, according to JFF.

1. Registered nurse,$48,090
2. Customer-service representative, $26,240
3. Sales representative, $42,730
4. Truck driver, heavy and tractor-trailer, $33,210
5. Maintenance worker, general, $29,370
6. Bookkeeping, accounting, $27,380
7. Executive secretary/administrative assistant, $33,410
8. Carpenter, $34,190
9. Automotive-service technician and mechanic, $30,590
10. Police/patrol officer, $42,270
11. Licensed practical nurse, $31,440
12. Electrician, $41,390
13. Sales workers, $35,170
14. Computer-support specialist, $39,100
15. Plumber, pipe fitter and steam fitter, $40,170