Category: Common

PRAGUE: It’s smaller than Earth’s moon, has a funky way of orbiting the sun, and lurks so far out on the fringes of the solar system that even the powerful Hubble space telescope has to squint to see it.

Still, a day after it was stripped of its status as a planet, many, including astronomers and schoolchildren, are missing Pluto.

The widow of astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto 76 years ago, says she is frustrated by the decision, but adds that Clyde would have understood. “I’m not heartbroken. I’m just shook up,” Patricia Tombaugh, 93, said in Las Cruces.

Clyde was 24 when he discovered Pluto while working at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, in 1930. Reacting to the International Astronomical Union’s decision, Walt Disney Company spokesman Donn Walker, speaking of the animated dog by the same name, said, “Pluto is taking this news in stride and we have no reason to believe he might bite an astronomer.”

In the words of 15-year-old Quinn Huebner, “It’s one less planet to memorize”. Huebner was visiting the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum, Washington, when he learned that Pluto was no longer a planet. However, Pluto’s demotion may spell confusion for learning the solar system.

“My Very Excellent Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas.” This and variations on it has been ways millions of people memorized the names of the planets in the solar system.

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto. After Pluto was reclassified as a ‘dwarf planet’, how’ll kids learn the planets? Some possibilities:

Major Volcanoes Erupt, Making Jolts, Shaking, Unsteadying Nerves.

Mary’s Violet Eyes Make Jack Stare Until Noticed.

My Very Exotic Mistress Just Showed up Nude (perhaps this one is for college lads).

The planetary change also spells trouble for science museums. The National Air and Space Museum, for example, has a popular song called “The Family of the Sun”, set to the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell”, that children love and which helps them learn the planets.

Spokesman Mike Marcus said a decision on rewriting it has not been made yet.

When writing the post on Avoiding Freeloaders I forgot to discuss another group, whom I have taken to calling cheap loaders!

A cheap loader will present themselves as being overtly helpful during the early stages of your degree course, offering assistance to other students, for instance sharing useful sources of information, revision notes etc.

There is nothing wrong with this in itself, most students cooperate in this way, however, the Cheap Loader is slightly different.

A Cheap Loader is a social engineer of sorts who seeks to trade low value resources and assistance for high value assistance and resources.

By offering lots of students low level assistance, they aim to create a sense of obligation in others, allowing them to recruit a smaller number of students to provide more valuable information such as access to degree assignments.

These people are almost impossible to identify until they pop the question and ask for your work.

As with any working relationship on your degree course, ensure that:

• There is balance
• Everyone contributes equally
• You never participate in plagiarism
• You set your boundaries

If someone tries to manipulate you in this way be firm, offer similar information in return, but don’t give them access to your degree coursework, or worse still, end up doing degree work for them.

Devise a schedule detailing working time for your degree course, and time off. Treat your university degree like a job, with start, finish and break times. If you work flexi time then make sure that you put in the correct number of hours each week. If you feel like you’ve had enough of a piece of work, try switch tasks as opposed to stopping.

On a degree there is always work to be done, you are in a race against time / deadlines. You do not have time to lose.

Do not procrastinate

Stick to your schedule!

If you work from 09:00 to 17:30 every day, allowing half an hour for lunch and two 15 minute coffee breaks, that gives you 37 hours per week as your minimum.

There is a big difference between attendance time and working time. The calculation for 37 hours per week is based on you working solidly, not chatting or surfing the Internet.

If you work solidly during these hours, you will maximize your quality free time at evenings and weekends.

When you need / want to work into the evening or weekends consider it overtime, do not deduct hours from the following week.

Never work less than your committed hours on your degree course with the intention of working longer the following week. If you cannot do 37 hours a week now, what on earth makes you think you can do 50 hours later on?

This is how the majority of people work every day, it’s no big deal to put in 37 hours hard work per week. It’s not physical work, it’s interesting, in fact, and it’s a privilege to attend University, treat it as such.

It helps a lot to continue working / reading through university holidays, don’t shut down over the summer. Make a start on the following years reading list.

Put your degree before other commitments such as part time work. If you need to work part time, then do it at weekends when it will fit more easily into your schedule.

If you work to a schedule, you can get the best marks at university and still have time to enjoy yourself. If you plan properly, and are disciplined in following this plan, you can have your cake and eat it!

Some people will end up with a third class degree, what you do next really depends on why you ended up with a third class degree.

You worked really hard but are not academically gifted:

Try and get a good reference from a lecturer stating what a hard worker you are. Employers value people who work hard, turn up on time, commit themselves and do the best job they can. Play on this as best you can in applications.

Don’t despair, you are still in the top 50% in terms of education and have an advantage over those who decided against a degree education.

As time passes, the specific grade will carry less meaning as work experience becomes the key factor employers are looking for, as opposed to degree results.

On that note, try and get into a good company at a lower level, i.e. if you fail to get in on a graduate scheme, see if you can get a job in a lesser admin role. If you are able to get a role in a decent company, your hard work will allow you to progress.

You have the ability but did not work hard at University:

Consider taking another degree!

This may sound like crazy advice, but, if you think you can change your ways, then getting a good Master’s degree will allow you to draw a line under your poor degree result.

Both myself and the author of Getting A First (Insider’s Guide) performed badly in courses prior to getting a first class degree. Both of us were consequently far more dedicated on our degree courses, and determined to put past mistakes behind us.

You are still at University and heading for a Third Class Degree:

• Get advice from your degree lecturer’s
• Consider switching degree courses
• Consider adding another year to your course to write an outstanding dissertation, thus drag your marks up
• Work like a maniac, quit your part time job, don’t waste a second of your time!

Open and distance education is filling the gap between demand and supply of higher education by providing similar opportunities as traditional universities.

Established in 1985, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) offers around 125 programs in diverse disciplines delivered through the distance mode.

Hardened by the demands of a competitive job market, students do not want to keep their future career options open-ended. More and more students are now enrolling for professional courses that would enhance their marketability.

Plenty of courses are available in private institutes to fill the requirements of booming industries such as hospitality, fashion, travel and tourism, aviation, to name a few. Admission to some of the courses are ongoing.

Going overseas still remains a popular option for students. Educational consultants advise aspirants to begin preparation a year in advance.

Besides doing research on countries and applying to institutes, aspirants may be required to appear for various eligibility tests. So August is the month to start planning your education overseas.

The concept of a gap year is originally Western in thought. An ideal gap year is one that a student uses for facing the real world before diving head-on into college.

The benefits of a well-used gap year are innumerable – one can use it for travelling, volunteering or even a job.

This way the student going for his first-year in college is more mature, confident and prepared for pursuing further studies.

Another route taken by adventurous students after school is to take up a job. An increasing number of youngsters are choosing this path to learn while they earn hence creating a workable alternative to studying a course in a college they don’t like.

Besides, sectors facing a huge manpower crisis like the aviation are recruiting students as soon as they complete their class XII.

The current demand is pegged at 1,500 and the sector estimates that 5,000-7,000 pilots and co-pilots would be needed over the next five years.

Airlines are offering to pick up 30% of the tab for pilot training programs and promising jobs even before the students get their wings.

With all these options open to you, the world out there is more promising than you think. So step out with confidence and create your own future today.

Amartya Sen was the first to conclude that people do not suffer in famines because of food shortages. For his findings, Sen has found a place in a coveted research list recently released in the UK.

A publication, titled Eureka UK, showcasing 100 world-changing discoveries by British researchers in the last 50 years was released earlier this month by Universities UK.

Imagine a world now without CDs and DVDs, test-tube babies or computers? “These would not have been possible without the dedication of academics in the UK.

Universities UK has worked with universities across the country to produce a lasting testament to the brilliant thinkers whose contributions have changed lives around the world,” said Diana Warwick, chief executive, Universities UK, in an interview.

The publication will help to attract students who are interested in research. “India and the UK share a long association in research and education. Recent collaborations have once again highlighted British excellence.

The launch of Eureka UK will inform potential students about the academic opportunities in the UK and the distinction it enjoys across the world,” said John Philip, head, Education UK – North India.

Among the inventions that have had an impact worldwide are – Ian Donald invented the use of ultrasound for unborn babies at the University of Glasgow 40 years ago; Ian Wilmut, a scientist at the Roslin Institute introduced the world to Dolly the sheep, the world’s first animal cloned from a cell taken from an adult animal, in 1997; two University of Manchester scientists, Freddie Williams and Tom Kilburn, are credited with running the world’s first stored programmer computer, to mention a few.

Travel, adventure, a salary and benefits that ensure a standard of living far beyond your dreams can all be obtained when you take an English teaching job somewhere in the world. As trade expands throughout the world, more and more positions for people to teach English are coming open. Companies, schools, businesses, and shipping lines all hire individuals that are able to teach English to other individuals.

The world is rushing to acquire English. International commerce, diplomacy, and higher education are just a few of the fields that provide opportunities to those who are able to teach English. The ability to teach English as a second language can provide you years of wonderful travel and opportunities to participate in the international community. Many millions of people want to learn English as a second language. Finding this type of job overseas is guaranteed if you are a native English speaker, have a university degree and have taken a short training course that instructs you on how to teach English as a second language.

The market for English teaching jobs is wide open in non-native-English speaking countries. The Oriental cultures as well as Mediterranean and Eastern European countries are hungry for teachers to come to their countries and teach English. Some of these countries include Turkey, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Spain, Portugal, and Greece.

Training is the important that leads to nationwide ability development. Education is definitely a vital aspect and plays an essential role in bringing about alter in the nationwide context. For any nation like India in which the desire of skilled workforce is growing using a worldwide level, it becomes important to introduce Vocational Education at increased and tertiary ranges. The existing mannequin of vocational instruction demands improvisation to be at par with global market standards. The education procedure wants to generally be created flexible, applicable and inventive for superior finding out and knowledge. The federal government together with Australian VET providers and industry experts has used initiatives to monitor, consider and implement high quality schooling.

The ability gaps mapped in 21 large-advancement sectors in India have given rise to National Abilities Advancement in Vocational Schooling & Training (VET). All these sectors have endless careers obtainable nonetheless there exists lack of skilled workforce. This state of affairs may be aroused on account of inadequate marketplace certain knowledge training. The multi-facet nature of Vocational Education has brought the federal government our bodies and industry professionals jointly to bring about to modify within the talent growth training plan. The pool of educated and trained manpower have a long time of encounter and carry expertise in rendering vocational schooling and expertise teaching. They look at talent gaps and present advice to layout content material and curriculum as every the have to have of marketplace.

Vocational Education and Instruction has enabled to meet employer expectations in talent improvement sectors, which focus on coaching programs that are formulated on employability skills requirements. The collaborative mastering for many talent sets or task roles is set thinking of the Australian competencies as Australian schooling technique is cornerstone of your effective society. This enables skilled graduates to upskill and attain employment opportunities in India at the same time as Australia. This is usually additional facilitated by Company Education India rendered at entry-degree to very experienced staff.

Vocational Education & Training is influential for national skill improvement, enabling an employee to execute as each competency standards. The employment-led sector abilities council assesses the expertise, capabilities and perspective of an individual needed to perform at the workplace. The diverse programs aid in developing expert manpower for higher-development sectors like IT or application, developing and engineering, tourism, mass media, banking, health care and many a lot more. Several self-work oriented courses are also incorporated to meet necessities of mainly the unorganized sector. The training course entails theoretical and on-internet site practical coaching relating to your selected vocational field.

A contemporary and innovative strategy is introduced to implement Company Education India. Customized soft knowledge training modules and identification of external trainers determined by shopper requirement are given importance for making the understanding method easy and hassle totally free. Monitoring instruction effectiveness and information evaluation improve flexibility and give increased value to exceed expectations of clients. Thus the training method aims to assure employment triumph of expert individuals that contributes to sustainability and financial properly being from the company.

Human Resources within a company is becoming increasingly significant, which means the number of job opportunities within the field is growing and the number of students attending the best business schools to get a degree in HR is increasing. Businesses are aware now more than ever of how important it is to hire the best people to work for them and they first want to hire the best people from the best business colleges for their human resources department to help them do so.

Determining who meets these standards is only one of the responsibilities of the HR department. They’re involved with every aspect of relations with both new and current employees at a company, including recruiting and selection of employees from registered business schools, training, contracts, employee relations and rights, complaints, and health and safety. The human resources team also boosts employee motivation by periodically performing evaluations of their working habits, helping create a positive work environment for everyone within a company, and can even lend a hand to the public relations team to create a good image for the company on the exterior as well.

There are several different positions a student with a degree in human resources can hold once they graduate from a good business school and gain experience within the field.  The following are some of the positions open to those who completed a human resources degree program:

HR Administrator: These employees serve as the first contact for potential employees and other outsiders and handles paperwork for the department.

HR Officer: Officers in human resources help out with all tasks associated with HR, including recruiting, employee complaints and punishments, and creating support programs for employees.

HR Manager: An HR manager oversees other employees in the department and is largely responsible for creating policies and establishing proper practices for all employees within a company to abide by.

HR Director: These employees are responsible for making sure the department stays on budget and is up-to-date on the latest developments and techniques being used in HR.

Recruitment Coordinator: Recruitment coordinators inform the public of new job openings at a company, look over received applications for the positions, and help develop a good interview process for the company.

Training Officer: Training officers first identify what requirements new employees must meet for a position and then finds the best way to train them for their new jobs.

So why do people choose to work in human resources? One of the major benefits of working in the field is that the HR department of a business has a lot of influence within the organization. They have the ability to establish a successful group of employees who make important business decisions, which in turn can create a successful company.

Those who want to work in HR also do so because its one of the professions that most requires good people skills. Students whose business career goals include working with others and who care about establishing good relationships with many departments in a company to better the establishment are the best fit for HR positions.

One of the many areas you can choose to pursue a business degree in is Information Systems. A degree in this field provides many job opportunities because every business requires the services of someone trained in information systems. Those trained in information systems at one of the best business colleges are qualified for positions in everything from programming, systems analysis, or database and web development to customer support or administrative and office management.

The duties one can fulfill with a degree in information systems cover many aspects of running a company. One of the most common positions for those with an information systems degree is a network administrator or a network specialist. They are responsible for developing, maintaining, securing, and solving problems within networks, databases, and websites for a company. These employees have extensive knowledge of hardware, software, and computer networks that they learned about in the best business programs. They help other employees in the company use computer networks in order to communicate with each other and work together on their assigned tasks for the company. Their technical design skills can help provide a backbone for the company to operate at productive levels.

Another main career path those with an information systems position can choose to take is focused more on administrative tasks. Business students in pursuit of an information systems degree from a good business school are also often trained in areas of business including management and marketing, which qualifies them to be responsible for running an office and communicating directly with the clients and customers of a business as well as with the various departments in a company to further assist the clients on top of just creating the computer networks for employees to communicate with. These employees’ strong problem-solving and communication skills will help them connect with and work well with other employees and with clients or customers.

The basic degree that most employers look for when it comes to information systems is a Bachelor of Science. Business students who graduate with this degree and knowledge of everything from software programs including PowerPoint, Excel, and Quickbooks, to more advanced programming and networking skills, have an edge over students who have no technical knowledge. The degree provides for a choice in several excellent career paths with almost any organization you can imagine. Every business requires someone trained in information systems, so your business career goal of having many job opportunities open to you will be fulfilled. It’s just up to you to show them that you’re the best candidate for the job.