This year, it was kind of a mixed bag when it came to my Christmas gifts.  Most of the gifts that I received were kind of generic, such as the five bath gift baskets I received and that really made me kind of sad.  It really hurt that my in-laws were one of the people that bought me a bath gift basket – you would think that they should know me better than that.

My husband didn’t do much better either.  Even though I had mentioned to him that I really wanted some scrapbooking supplies for Christmas (I even made him a list), he didn’t really follow through with it.  Instead he bought me some gift cards (which are about as impersonal as you can get), which made me feel like he didn’t make any time for me.  Definitely a disappointment.

But my favorite gift this year was from my parents.  They bought me one of the college diploma frames that I had been talking about for months, and now I will finally be able to hang my diploma on the wall.  It makes me feel really good to know that they were listening all those times I was talking about the university diploma frame, and their purchase was definitely my favorite gift this year.

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I did my entire college degree online approximately ten years ago. At that time, getting a degree online was practically unheard of. These days it’s common. Still, there are some degrees that are better than others to get online.

5 degrees that are good to get online are:

1. Education degrees. You can learn a lot about what you need to know for teaching from taking an online course.
2. Writing degrees. There is no reason that you need to attend a campus-based program to learn and practice writing.
3. Anything related to computers. After all, you’re going to be working on computers anyway. Notably you don’t have to just get advanced degrees online in this area. You can also do certification programs. For example Cisco online training is great for people who need to take a Cisco training course.
4. Business degrees. You can get both certification classes and advanced degrees in business via online classes.
5. Anything that interests you. Getting a degree online requires that you are very self-motivated. It is a lot easier to be self-motivated if you truly enjoy what you are studying. If you don’t like your degree program then you will have a much tougher time completing your online degree.

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I never really thought that cooking would be a subject that would be difficult to master, but as it turns out, it is.  My biggest challenge was to get rid of my dependence on cook books since before I enrolled in classes, that is the way I cooked.

There is a lot of practice required to become a master of the culinary arts and I have had my share of dishes that really didn’t taste very good.  Out of all my failures, the worst was when I was trying to cook macaroni and cheese from scratch – the first few tries were some of the most disgusting dishes that I had ever eaten.

But I am happy to say that if you tried my cooking back in September and compared it to my skills now, you would taste the difference.  Even though I have a ways to go before becoming a master chef, you can feel the excitement in your taste buds when you take the first bite of any dish I create.  I  know, because I will see the smile on your face.

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It’s a great time to get a green education. Find an area of the green movement that really interests you and learn more about it this year!

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Here are five main reasons that people change degree programs:

1. They didn’t really know what they wanted to do in the first place. A lot of students choose their first degree before they really know what interests them. As they take classes, they are drawn towards a specific area of study and change to that degree program.
2. One class encourages the student to take a different path. Students who change from one degree to another similar degree often do so because a specific class really appealed to them. For example, students of physician assistant programs may end up looking into degrees that are also in the medical field but may be more specialized than the general PA degree.
3. It’s more convenient to do a different program. A student may want to get a degree in transitional physical therapy but he needs to do an online program so if he can’t find a transitional physical therapy online program then he may switch to the degree most similar to that which is available online.
4. The student likes being in school. Some students don’t want to be done with college in four years so they’ll switch degrees and stay in school longer.
5. A major life change occurs. This may cause the student to rethink what she was planning to do and to go another direction with her education.

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This morning I was reading an article on college graduates, and I was surprised to see a mention of graduates earning $10,000.  At first I thought it was a typo and should have been $100,000 — but no, the next sentence compared it with an annual salary of $4,000.  Then I looked at the date of the article and the mystery was solves: This articles on college graduates was published more than 60 years ago.

A lot has changed in 60 years, not the least of which is the salaries people make.  I don’t think 1 in 20 college graduates run for public office these days, for one thing.  Also, whereas back then college was almost exclusively for business professionals, today higher education can teach you about a variety of things, from the culinary arts to carpentry to horseshoeing.

Another thing I noticed has changed is the idea that you can only pick  your career once.  The article talks about how many college graduates regretted their area of study,  and wished they had chosen something else.  These days, if you spend 10 years in a career in, say, teaching, you can still change your mind and go to a culinary school as an adult.  But back then, you were expected to go to college, find a job, and stay with that company until retirement if possible.

I noticed a few other things that haven’t changed much, though.  I think women still read more than men, for one thing, and that women especially read more bestsellers than men.  (Most men I know who do read a lot prefer nonfiction.)  And although the political climate in our country has changed a lot since 1948, I think college graduates are still more likely to vote than those who haven’t been through college.

What have you noticed about higher education that has changed since this article was written?

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There are many things to consider when choosing a college.  Although the quality of your education — i.e., teacher qualifications, curriculum, and school reputation — will and should take first precedence, things like the college campus and the quality of student life should also figure into your decision.

For instance, a welcoming student environment is one thing many students seriously consider when choosing a college.  Are there student lounges on campus where you can study, and do these lounges have conveniences such as wifi?  How is the library?  Is there a student union on campus to ensure that students’ concerns are addressed whenever the school makes decisions about changes, new rules, etc.?

If you plan on living on campus, you may also want to look into the quality of dorm life.  Are the dorm rooms comfortable?  Are the dorms and student areas clean and well cared for?

Of course, these kinds of considerations shouldn’t be more important than learning.  You’ll want to know, for instance, that the loan officer training program will prepare you sufficiently, so that you can get the required licenses and qualify for a good job in the industry.  But it’s also true that happy students learn better and retain more than unhappy students, so the quality of student life on campus should have at least some bearing on your decision!

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Of course, this is hardly the case.  There are still plenty of careers or even small businesses that you can start with a finance background — secure, well-paying opportunities, no less.  Here are a few ideas to get you thinking about what you can do with your degree.

• Bookkeeping .  Despite the trouble with the economy and the banks, there is no doubt that businesses still need bookkeeping and other accounting work done for them.  You could get full time work with one company, or start your own business providing bookkeeping services for many different clients.
• Tax accounting.  Small businesses and individuals often need help doing their taxes, so accountants are still very much in demand.  Again, you can either work for a large company, an accounting firm, or even start your own company.
• Debt consulting.  Sadly, as people are struggling in the current economy, debt and bankruptcy are becoming big problems for individuals as well as businesses.  Therefore there is a lot of opportunity here for someone who understands the nature of the business and is good at negotiating.  For instance, you might choose to counsel individuals in how to reduce their debt and negotiate with lenders, or you might start a company specializing in corporate debt negotiation for big companies.

These are just a few of the options I can think of for someone with a background in finance in the current economy.  There are no doubt many other possibilities!  So rest assured, the recession hasn’t ruined your chance for a good job in the finance sector!

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But I still wonder what my future holds.  How long will I work?  How many lives will I save?  Though my life lies before me, I am worried about the future.  Looking at my diploma frame, I can remember how easy going to school was.  It was very predictable and you knew how your day was going to turn out.

But now, in the real world, things are more uncertain.  Gone are the good times of partying with friends, and the lack of responsibility that life in school provides.  In fact, looking at the picture of myself I have stuck on my university diploma frame, I wish I could return to that simpler time.

If I have all these questions about my future and life now, I wonder if I’ll have the answers in ten years, or at any point in my life.  I guess I will just have to accept the uncertainty, and “go with the flow” to see where life will carry me.  I know for me, that will be hard to do.

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There hasn’t been much oversight over private student loans.  For instance, they haven’t had to be clear with students which loans are offered by the government (usually at a lower rate) and which are offered by the bank itself.  Furthermore, they haven’t had to report rates in a standardized way, so it can be extremely hard to compare student loans and find out whether you are getting the best possible rate.

Student loans might therefore qualify for what’s known as predatory lending practices.  And that’s what President Obama is working to eliminate.  People should be able to get their education without being preyed upon by greedy lenders, don’t you think?  Some kid who wants to be a chef, but can’t afford the cost of most culinary arts degrees without assistance, shouldn’t have to give up his dream because he can’t afford the high interest rates on many student loans.

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