Expert Advice for Succeeding in Online Classes

Check out NerdScholars tips for making the most of any online class!   Whether you are a college student looking to take on extra units in your spare time or a high school student brushing up on your SAT prep, online classes are a competitive option for all—at a fraction of the cost of traditional schooling. The number of online learners is expected to continue growing, especially with the  rising popularity of massive open online classes, or MOOCs. With college and university classrooms at maximum capacity and tuition costs rising, it is no wonder so many students are turning to online courses to complete their degrees. But the adoption of online courses now sees many students struggling to keep pace and attributing poor performance to the lack of communication and structure. To help mitigate these issues for new students, NerdScholar asked professors of online classes for their best advice on tackling the virtual learning landscape. Here’s what they had to say: 1. Choose the right class for your needs. Before worrying about how to succeed in an online class, there are a number of factors to consider when choosing which one you should take. First, assess your goals and what you hope to get out of the class. Mathew Curtis, a professor at the University of Southern California, says students considering online courses should â€Å"have the class be relevant and connect to who they are or what they want to be.† The more interested you are in the subject matter, whether for personal or professional reasons, the more likely you are to succeed from the start. It is important, too, that your online course meets your standards, says Velle Kolde, a professor at Washington State University’s College of Business. Much like reputation says something about traditional colleges and universities, accreditation â€Å"provides assurance to both the student and prospective employers that the program is rigorous and meets the highest standards.† Tracey Weiss, a professor at Temple University, adds that accreditation will also be a factor for those students looking to earn specific credentials or certificates of completion. 2. Set a schedule beforehand. The most important driver of success in online classes is scheduling your time wisely. Most online courses come with little direction, and students are expected to work at their own pace. Stephanie Freeman, an online course professor at North Carolina Central University, says â€Å"students must expect to spend additional time planning out their schedules† if they are to succeed. Doing so at the start of the class will enable students to stick to a firm schedule they would not otherwise have. Jessica Viecelli-Stimpson, a professor at American International College, prefers online courses with a set structure. â€Å"To help students plan their time so that they aren’t waiting until the last minute, I usually provide a coursework overview with suggested completion dates for each assignment.† She says this process allows her students to see the long-term benefits of scheduling ahead, and advises others to do the same. 3. Be committed and disciplined. Success in an online course requires hard work and motivation. As with traditional classes, make sure you have the time to devote to the course, Curtis says. â€Å"It may sound impressive to tell friends and family you have signed up to take [an online] class,† he says, â€Å"but if you don’t make it past week one due to the stress and time commitments, it can be disheartening to quit.† Weiss says the key to success in an online course is discipline, more so than in traditional classes. In the latter, she says, professors tend to remind students of important deadlines and homework assignments, while students in online courses must prioritize on their own. Curtis adds, â€Å"There is more temptation to delay work [in an online class] as you don’t need to be working or present at a specific time.† Being diligent in your work will benefit you in the end. 4. Communicate frequently with your instructor. Mastering the subject matter in an online course relies heavily on teacher-student communication. It is important that students feel they can openly communicate with their instructor, Viecelli-Stimpson says. â€Å"Just because it is an online class and there may be no face-to-face element, it does not mean that there isn’t an instructor facilitating the course who is willing and ready to help.† She adds that it is especially crucial students communicate with their instructors as to avoid falling behind or struggling with the course load. Likewise, students should make sure they are enrolling in an online course taught by a professor who is attentive to his or her students’ needs, Viecelli-Stimpson says. â€Å"Effective online instructors make themselves available to the student if the student has questions about the course.† 5. Research online classes as you would traditional ones. Deciding which online classes to enroll in requires many of the same steps—and is just as important—as enrolling in traditional college courses. â€Å"Read the course catalog first—the same as if taking the class in a face-to-face setting,† Freeman advises. She adds that â€Å"the college or university should provide the professor’s name and background information† as well. The next step is to â€Å"evaluate the instructor’s teaching experience and ties to the college or university because these two areas can determine the instructor’s dedication to and care for the course.† Lastly, â€Å"if the online course requires more reading material or course materials than the traditional course,† Freeman says, â€Å"the student should consider that as an indication of more reading requirements and independent study.† 6. Build a support network. Adding an online class to a full course load is tough, but it can be even tougher for an adult with a full-time job and many other responsibilities. For the working adult, Kolde says, â€Å"there may be some tough trade-offs to be made. You should discuss what will be expected of you during the program with the people that are important to you.† This could mean informing your employer of your extra work load, or asking your spouse to take on more responsibilities at home. The support of family and friends as well as of your employer can keep you from feeling overwhelmed and help you complete your online work successfully. Sources: Mathew Curtis, Ph.D., is a professor at the  University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Communication where he teaches in both the  online  and traditional graduate program. His specialties are advertising and market research and he regularly consults for local and national businesses. Stephanie Freeman  is a Program Director for the Arts and Humanities Program at  North Carolina Central University  in Durham, North Carolina.   She has been teaching on a collegiate level for 22 years and has been teaching online courses for 10 years. Jessica Viecelli-Stimpson  is a business instructor at  American International College  in Springfield, Massachusetts.   She has been teaching since 2007 and enjoys teaching both traditional courses and online courses. Velle Kolde  is a professor and Director of the Executive MBA program at  Washington State University  and has served on the Board of Advisors to the College of Business. He also received his Bachelor’s and Masters of Accounting degrees from Washington State University. Tracey Weiss, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Strategic and Organizational Communication at Temple University  and co-Director of the new Online Graduate Certificate Program in Strategic Communication and Cross-Cultural Leadership.   Infographic courtesy of  The Sloan Consortium. About the Author: Gianna Sen-Gupta is a writer and communications specialist for NerdScholar, a financial literacy website for students. NerdScholar empowers students to make smart financial choices by providing them and their families with the free resources and advice needed to best navigate the college process. Follow NerdScholar on Twitter: @NW_NerdScholar.

Thesis on Macbeth †a Study in the Psychology of Evil

In  Macbeth, ambition combines with evil forces to commit evil deeds which result in fear, apprehension, guilt and an escalating cycle of violent murders. Above all,  Macbeth  is a study of the psychology of two central characters (Macbeth and his wife) react as individuals and as a couple to the psychological trauma of their evil deeds. In the course of the action, Macbeth frequently misconstrues the guilt that he feels as simply being a question of fear. As a warrior, this self-delusion works because he thinks that he knows no fear and it leads directly to his response to his guilt and his descent into more violence. His usual way of expiating his guilt is to commit more murders, either personally or by order. This, unfortunately, only provokes further guilt and mental torment. In contrast to her husband, Lady Macbeth is wholly aware of the distinction between guilt and fear, and she tries to stop feelings of guilt firstly by denying her guilty conscience and then by concentrating her attention on alleviating her husband’s deep sense of guilt – which threatens to reveal the truth about what they have done. Immediately after Duncans murder, Lady Macbeth implores Macbeth to get some water in order to and wash this filthy witness from your hand (2, i, 43-44). He ignores her order, and cries out, What hands are here. Ha! They pluck out mine eyes! / will all great Neptunes ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand? (2, i, 56-58). But she retorts that the guilty signs of his crime (Duncan’s blood on his hands) can simply be removed, that a little water clears us of this deed (2, i, .64). But in the course of the play, Lady Macbeth completely loses both her power over and intimacy with Macbeth, and also the ability to ignore her own feelings of guilt. Therefore, her assertion that a little water clears us of this deed (2, i, .64) becomes retrospectively deeply ironic.   Once Macbeth has left   to do battle with   Macduffs forces and Lady Macbeth is left alone, she starts to suffer exactly the same symptoms of guilt that have plagued her husband since the night of Duncan’s murder: she finds it impossible to sleep and suffers vivid hallucinations. Lady Macbeth’s influence has waned during the course of the play: Macbeth could not have murdered Duncan without her prompting and goading, yet, because Macbeth’s guilt and his fear of discovery, he no longer trusts his wife, so she is not even informed of the murder of Banquo or the attack on Macduff’s castle and the ensuing massacre of this family. The motivation for all the murders it is ambition for political power, and it does not require much for Macbeth readily accepts the witches’ prediction that he will become King of Scotland. Macbeth is very ambitious, but it is his wife who convinces him and gives him the courage to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth is single-minded in the pursuit of her ambition and demonstrates an ability to deceive that she shares with several of Shakespeare’s female protagonists. Therefore, when Duncan arrives at her castle in Act 1, she humbly tells him that she has impatiently waited for his arrival and that her preparations for it are in every point twice done, and then double done (1, vi, 14-18). The dramatic irony here is that the audience knows that she intends that Duncan should be murdered that very night and also that she is able to conceal her murderous intentions, yet has the confidence to make reference to the idea of double-dealing and betrayal in the words â€Å"double done.â €  Macbeth is further complicated because the evil in the play has a supernatural element; indeed, the play begins with three witches predicting their meeting with Macbeth and Banquo. Even before he meets the three witches, Macbeth comments on the unnaturalness of a day which both â€Å"foul and fair (1, iii, 39). Nothing is not what it seems. After his first conversation with the witches, Macbeth is cannot decide if the predictions of the witches are ill or good. He then begins to doubt the actuality of the real world itself as he observes that nothing is / But what it is not (1, iii, 141-142). This idea of things not being what they appear to be links directly with Lady Macbeth’s deception of Duncan. In Macbeths experience an unnatural world replaces reality; in his wife’s experience, this movement towards unnaturalness is a deliberate choice. In a very famous speech, Lady Macbeth actively invokes the forces of the supernatural in order to transform herself into a something un-human with no conscience or ability to feel pathos or compassion. Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me, from the crown to the toe topful Of direst cruelty! Make thick my blood, Stop up th access and passage to remorse, That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between Th effect and it!   (1, v, 40-47) Lady Macbeth transforms herself into an inhuman monster, de-sexing herself into the epitome of evil. As many critics have observed, unlike Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff, Macbeths have no children and Lady Macbeth has never experienced the maternal feelings that accompany childbirth. In political terms Macbeth has no son to succeed him and this creates additional mental torment – not only does he suffer intense guilt, but he suffers it knowing that the witches have predicted that Banquo’s descendants will become the kings of Scotland – hence Macbeth’s orders for the murder of Banquo and Fleance. The real world and the unnatural world of evil get mixed up in the paranoid visions and in the insomnia that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both suffer. After he has murdered Duncan, Macbeth hears a voice ordering him to sleep no more (2, ii, 37). Lady Macbeth is quickly aware of her husband’s insomnia and the nightmares he suffers when he does manage to sleep. She attempts to rationalize his arguing that he sees Banquo’s ghost at the banquet only because he is suffering from a lack of sleep. But the audience is aware that she is wrong: it is Macbeth’s guilt that causes the apparition of Banquo to appear: every time Macbeth hypocritically remarks how much he misses Banquo, the ghost of Banquo appears. Later, however, Lady Macbeth herself is plagued with sleep disorders. insomnia is told, Lady Macbeth sleepwalks, compulsively washes her hands, cannot bear to be left in the dark and keeps up a constant monologue with references to Duncan, Banquo and Macduff’s fami ly all jumbled up showing her mental breakdown and confusion. . The individual deterioration of the Macbeths is paralleled by the total collapse of their marriage. In Act 1 and 2 they are very intimate with each other. The very first time that we see Lady Macbeth is seen on stage, she is reading aloud a letter from her husband which starts with the affectionate salutation, Dearest Partner of Greatnesse. There e a strong sense of   mutual admiration between husband and wife, a   mutual respect founded   on their shared belief that the great warrior Macbeth is worthy to be king, while the imperious Lady Macbeth is his natural queen. When Lady Macbeth’s reaction when she realizes that Duncan is dead is, significantly, My husband. But a radical change is presented in the relationship between the Macbeths as the play progresses. After the initial murder of Duncan, Lady Macbeth becomes less important to her husband. Macbeth begins to distance himself from Lady Macbeth. Moreover, he keeps his attack on Banquo and Fleance secret from his wife, and she has no prior knowledge of the killing of Macduffs wife and children. Indeed, after her unsuccessful attempts to control Macbeth when he sees the ghost of Banquo, Lady Macbeth almost disappears from the play until the sleep walking scene which begins Act Five. Lady Macbeth no longer directs the plot and Macbeth’s actions; she is deliberately excluded by her husband. Lady Macbeth is almost unrecognizable in the sleep walking scene. She has been transformed from an inhuman monster into a babbling, insane wreck of a woman. It might be argued that her suicide redeems her slightly, because it shows a sense of remorse and humanity. What might provoke an audience’s sympathy that she no longer has any meaningful role in her marriage with Macbeth. Macbeth. Rather poignantly Lady Macbeths final words are not expressions of guilt, but do recall the powerful intimacy which once bound her and her husband together: give me your hand †¦ to bed, to bed, to bed (5, i, 66-68). Macbeth  is a profound study of evil and its corrupting and life-destroying influence on humanity.   The witches, through their ambiguous predictions, introduce a supernatural evil into  the play. Their equivocations and riddles —the deliberate stating of half-truths—cover up the sinister and evil nature of their predictions, and Macbeth never considers the possibility that they are attempting to trick him.   Although the witches are inherently evil, their prophecies do not necessarily show the actual existence of evil, but instead suggest the potential for human beings to commit evil. Their power lies in tempting men like Macbeth to give in to ambition and to sin. When Macbeth gives in to the temptation to commit murder, he (not the witches) is the catalyst that releases evil into the world. The evil, which starts with Duncans murder, destroys Macbeths personal world, but also corrupts and contaminates the family, the state, and the physical universe. For examp le, during Duncans murder the earth was feverous, and did shake (2, iii, 60), showing that evil and unnaturalness provoke disquiet in the natural world – or rather that Shakespeare uses this to symbolize the wide-ranging effects of evil. As a whole the play presents the psychological effects of evil as deeply disturbing and distressing. At the end of the play Malcolm calls Macbeth and his wife â€Å"this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen† (5, viii, 69), but this quotation does not do justice to the guilt that has ravaged the lives of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. He is more than a butcher; she is more than a fiend: they are all too human in the guilt they show for the terrible sins they have committed, and the effects of that guilt – insanity and insomnia – are vividly presented by Shakespeare. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. London: Penguin. 2007. Print.

Eating Disorders Social And Cultural Factors - 1820 Words

Eating Disorders: Social and Cultural Factors Donna Vega West Coast University October 24, 2014 Abstract In today’s society, eating disorders has become one of the main factors leading to the increased mortality rates in the United States. The two major eating disorders include Anorexia and Bulimia. Young adults especially, are in greater risk of having an eating disorder. With eating disorders being the third leading cause of death in young adolescent girls, it has also acquired 15 percent of young males (Relevant, 2013). Social and cultural factors have been known to contribute to the onset of eating disorders, including media, family, and peer issue. Although such factors may lead to eating disorders, it may also reduce the cause. In this research paper, the effects of social and cultural factors will be compared to its effects on eating disorders. Keywords: young adults, adolescents, eating disorders Eating Disorders: Social and Cultural Factors Eating disorders has become a major health problem in the United States. They have been characterized as abnormal eating habits, involving insufficient or excessive consumption of food. Some of the common eating disorders include Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. In anorexia nervosa, a person tends to find starving themselves as a way of dieting. In bulimia nervosa, an individual may tend to eating excessive amount of food and later discards its contents by purging. Among the United States population,Show MoreRelated The Cause of Eating Disorders Essay591 Words   |  3 PagesThe Cause of Eating Disorders Although the causes are many and varied, we know that people with eating disorders often use food and the control of food in an attempt to compensate for feelings and emotions that may otherwise seem overwhelming. 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The alarming trend of increasing cases of these psychological disorders has sparked intellectual inquiry into their shared features. The rising amount of societal pressures that many women around the country feel have caused a lot of women to turn to food as a coping mechanism. Whether it is control exhorted over food or eating as a means to feel numb, women look to food to make thems elves feel a certain way. FoodRead MoreEating Disorders And Their Effects On Victims Of Them1281 Words   |  6 Pagesthoughts someone suffering an eating disorder hear every second of a day. In this essay, I will explain eating disorders and their effects on victims of them. Eating disorders are major health risks, and can be life-threatening. Eating disorders are defined as abnormal eating habits and extreme worry about one’s body image. They are mental illnesses that exist in both males and females, but are most commonly seen in females between the ages of 12-25. Eating disorders are not only about losing weightRead MoreGeneral Education Requirement For Psch 2701410 Words   |  6 Pagesspecific psychological disorder (not a category, e.g., panic disorder is okay but not â€Å"anxiety† disorder) that fits each definition and briefly state in what way(s) the disorder fits that definition well. Choose a different disorder for each definition. (6 pts) a. Social deviance: When there is a behavior seems contrary to the dominant norms of a certain society, this can be regarded as a socially deviant behavior. Clinical psychologists must consider cultural and social components of a behaviorRead MoreThe Eating Disorder And Anorexia Nervosa1555 Words   |  7 PagesThe eating disorder anorexia nervosa is one of complex nature that is caused and sustained by many interconnected factors of life. Characterized by strict dieting, an unrealistic perception of body image, excessive exercise, depression, and OCD, this disorder has the ability to boycott the lives of many individuals (Pinel, 2014). In order to understand the effects that this disorder has, it is essential to look at the socio-cultural, psychological, and physiological factors this disorder can entailRead MoreSocial Media And Its Impact On Society1224 Words   |  5 Pages Social media is a variety of platforms provided to the public as a medium for expression and communication. Seemingly, social media could be viewed as a positive contribution to society, but one must consider the underlying effects of society. Many of us don’t take into account the role that social media plays in the way we perceive things, think, and live our lives. Social media plays a critical part in societal norms. â€Å"Social norms are rules of conduct that governs interactions among individuals

Business Research Corporate Cash Reserve

Question: Describe about the Business Research for Corporate Cash Reserve. Answer: Part A This project sets out to provide a presentation of a report on the effects of annual leave on the business. It also presents an overall effect of the annual leave on the cash flow of the business. Under ordinary circumstances, an employer can accord his or her employee's annual leave in two likely events: that is, when the employee shave had an accumulation of excess annual leave and when the business is seeking to close down due to such periods as Christmas and New Year eve. This is well documented in the registered award agreements. From a legal point of view, one is allowed to take up to four weeks of paid annual leave. This is after one has worked for the company for a continuous period of up to a year without taking a break. For instance, if an individual works for say, five hours in every seven days, then this means that they can take up to four weeks that is the equivalent of one annual leave. That is 20 hours in total. It is important for both the employers and the employees to take note of the fact that an individual has his or her annual leave hours carried forward to the next year in the event that they do not use them up. This gives room for the individual employees to take up two of their annual leaves for weeks in a continuous manner if the individual so deems the arrangement fit. It is also important to note that these provisions are just but provided for by the minimum legal provisions, but more space is provided for by the employment agreement that is specifically tied to a given company policy. They could be more. As a matter of fact, one's employer can offer pay what is known a pay as you go kind of leave. This kind of arrangement should only be used in such instances as to when one is a casual laborer or employee and as such, their unpredictable working conditions makes it almost impracticable to have paid holidays. There are other instances when the individual is on a fixed arrangement of employment terms for a period less than 12 months. This applies to such cases as when one is employed to work at a concert or where there are events marking a night presentation or a two-day conference. This means that the employee under such an arrangement can go up to months before hearing from their employer as these events do not happen on a daily basis, but only when they are organized. There are instances when the employee can request to be paid off their leave in cash, as opposed to being granted days off. That can be achieved through a communication between the employee and the employer. In the event that the matter does not work, or the employer feels that the amount provided is not sufficient, then there comes a sufficient ground for the aggrieved to table their grievances in the Employment Relations Authority. However, there are companies that do not provide for the payment of the annual leave in cash. This is a matter that must be determined by the respective companies as it is their policies that support or discredits the same and every company has its own policy regarding annual leave. Part B: Possible impacts on the cash flow of the business if too many staff have accrued high levels of annual leave. Cash flow is a very integral component of the business finances. This is a fact that is actually seen to be the lifeblood of the business. This is a very important consideration as it becomes very critical that one learns all the possible scenarios with regard to cash flow and the general effects of annual leave on business finances. It is very necessary for the employers or the stakeholders to understand the cash flow effects on the overall proceeds of the company, otherwise, the company can be deemed to have some kind of serious business ramifications on the business. For instance, the business may face some crippling effects such as finding it hard to pay the bills of the company. Much as it is important for the business to have a well-defined cash flow, sometimes it is very necessary for the stakeholders to have an understanding of the impacts of employee leave on the overall cash flow within a given company. One of the major problems companies face is what employees accrue in excesses of amounts that come from the annual leave. This means that it becomes very tricky for the company to cope with the absence of the employees from work in the name of being on leave. It is a matter of fact that with the absence of many workers from work, the productivity of the company becomes reduced and this will have a direct bearing on the general cash flow within the company. It should also be noted that the absent employees attract the same amount of payment in dues as those on duty and with reduced production, it is automatic that the company will spend more than it produces in terms of cash. This will definitely bear a great effect on the cash flow of the company. Whenever the employees opt for cashed leave and the individuals resort to accruing the same, this might have a net effect on the overall cash flow of the company. In actuality, the employees may end up having huge cash net hanging over their heads. If the employees are given so much time on their annual leaves, then the business can face some backlog in terms of production and this can have an overall effect on the performance of the company. Works Cited Harford, Jarrad. "Corporate cash reserves and acquisitions."The Journal of Finance54.6 (1999): 1969-1997. Hambrick, Donald C., and David Lei. "Toward an empirical prioritization of contingency variables for business strategy."Academy of Management journal28.4 (1985): 763-788. Modigliani, Franco, and Merton H. Miller. "Corporate income taxes and the cost of capital: a correction."The American economic review53.3 (1963): 433-443. Moulthrop, Daniel, Nnive Clements Calegari, and Dave Eggers.Teachers have it easy: The big sacrifices and small salaries of America's teachers. The New Press, 2006. Opler, Tim, et al. "The determinants and implications of corporate cash holdings."Journal of financial economics52.1 (1999): 3-46. Zinober, Joan Wagner. "Managing Employees 101."Law Prac. Mgmt.17 (1991): 32.