We all know that 2012 is coming and there is nothing we can do to stop it. Luckily, 2012 the movie is coming out on Friday to give us a glimpse of the carnage to come. I wanted to personally assure all of you, that we here at MDAMB are attending this important movie on opening day and will take copious notes. Do you know what that means?

You guessed it. We will spend all the time that is necessary to bring you the most effective ways to survive whatever catastrophes may come our way. I would love to give you a preview, but we just don’t know what will happen. It may be a comet colliding with earth, maybe global warming will inundate the Himalayas, maybe Kanye West will insult Kim Jong Il and begin a nuclear war. We just don’t know.

Just so you all know, the last day is 21 December 2012. Between now and then, all we can do is hypothesize and strategize so when it happens, we will be ready. You can prepare for utter desolation as well by taking advantage of the following resources:
2012 Move Trailer
Survive 2012

If anyone else has some good ideas or resources, please share them.

If you type “find my college match” into Google, you will get approximately 33 million results. You will see dozens of degree programs and college matchmaking sites that claim to have the right degree for you, but how do you know where to start? These five easy steps will help you navigate the sea of options to help you find your perfect college match.

1)      Find a list of HONEST recommendations. The best way to get a quick list of potential degree programs is to visit a college matching site. These services are free, but look before you leap. Many of these sites only recommend colleges that have paid to be listed on their site. To get a list of potential degree programs, start with an online degree search that will offer honest and objective recommendations. Avoid college search sites that request your contact information upfront and are blanketed with college ads. Understand that “sponsored” or “featured” recommendations have paid to be listed there and make sure to read the terms of service.

2)  Don’t worry about cost just yet. Students often immediately rule out certain degree programs because of cost, but don’t be so quick to give programs the ax. The price of a degree program is affected by many different factors, so don’t cross off any degree programs until you fully understand your financial aid and scholarship opportunities, and additional costs that may not be included.

3)  Understand accreditation: One of the biggest mistakes students make when choosing a college is ignoring accreditation. Many employers will not hire applicants with non-accredited degrees, nor will most colleges and universities accept non-accredited transfer credits. Additionally, you need to pay attention to the type of accreditation. Most colleges have either regional or national accreditation. There are advantages to both, but make sure you understand which one is right for you.

4)  Be realistic about your chances: It seems as if it gets harder and harder to get into college every year. The Princeton Review recommends that you apply to three match schools, three reach schools and two safety schools. Make sure you cover your bases so you have some options once your acceptance letters come in.

5)  Go and visit: Once you actually get your acceptance letters, go over the finance options with a fine tooth comb and if it’s at all possible, go and visit the colleges you can realistically afford. Nothing can replace the experience of visiting the campus in person. It might look perfect on paper, but if it doesn’t “feel right” it’s not for you.

There are many online reviews about colleges and professors, which direct students toward the right institution for future academic growth. This type of information is great providing useful insight to help those searching for the right college. It’s high-quality information that not so many years ago couldn’t be obtained through websites and online media relations.

One other area that could help students progress even more during high school or college education is self development. Everyone knows that having the ability to communicate helps reach ones goals. Think of it like this: if one can extract key information by asking the right questions then it would appear that the acquired data or facts would encourage more resourceful answers. Another way to look at it would be: improving posture and learning capability through self growth and enhanced self-esteem increases more confidence and ultimately more energy to reach objectives.

Having the right aptitude to take on successful life patterns could be construed as another academic achievement although there are no specific lessons associated to this field as it currently stands at high school, or even college. Another way to put it is confidence builder, or self motivation accelerator. A recent independent while reputable study found that 71 percent of students graduate from high school in America. Approximately 1.2 million students failed to graduate last year and over half came from minority groups. In fact, about 7,000 drop out of school every day. Then as much as 30 percent of students are absent from classes in major US cities on a daily basis.

Lack of communication skills, self development, and incomprehensiveness of the English language all contribute while over fifty million Hispanics living in the USA create concerns for extra classes. Some students need to be constantly encouraged to succeed. Whilst quantities of students are fortunate to graduate many suffer from lack the skills and often circumstances that prejudice growth. The educational services are searching for better ways to address these needs, and now there are many schools and colleges arguing that they provide excellent confidence and motivational therapy although many students lack these skills. Can we simply blame the educational system or students’ parents when the students themselves must want to get better?

My website, StudentsRatings.com, appreciates the necessity to teach self growth to students.  If students facing study problems open up and take responsibility for their own weaknesses then admitting it will help them take action to enhance overall performance. It isn’t just a question of getting excellent grades and starting out with a great job. It is about finding the right connections to want to improve and find the ideal long term career path and having the life skills to take it to another level. College is definitely the best way to improve academic achievement while steering students toward a fruitful future.