Back to School ... as an Adult

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Many of us don’t have clue what we want out of life when we’re young. Some people forgo higher education altogether, whilst others may study the wrong subjects because it seemed like a good idea at the time. Either way, it can be frustrating looking back and wishing you had chosen a different path.

Fortunately, it’s never too late to go back and study. There are now courses open to all ages. The only obstacle may be that you’ve now got commitments and funds to consider. Here’s how you can negotiate going back to school as an adult and get the education you’ve always wanted.

Have a clear goal

On top of deciding which course you want to take, you should have a valid reason as to why you want to take it. Will it set you up with a specific career? Is it simply a personal challenge? Either one is a valid reason, just make sure you know which one you’re doing it for. If you’re looking to follow a specific a career, you may want to consider a specific course related to that career - now, is not the time to choose something general that will open up your options. If it’s a personal challenge, feel free to take on any course you want. It could be something you already have a keen interest in, or something that’s always troubled you that you want to conquer such a Maths A level or an English GCSE.

Work out how to fund your studies

You’ll need to fund your studies and still be able to fund everyday life. You could save up money through work, or as most people do – take out a loan. In many countries, mature students are still allowed to take out a student loan like everyone else. For pre-graduate qualifications, there may be grants. You may even be able to start a fundraising campaign on a site like Kickstarter. There are even pay-as-you-go methods when it comes to college and university fees – if you’re working alongside studying, you may be able to more easily pay off your fees than in huge tri-annual payments.

Consider online courses

Online courses allow you to work from any location, meaning you don’t have to visit a campus or college and attend lectures and seminars. This can work well for many people with commitments such as a job or a family as it offers the flexibility to study when and where you want. It also gives you a huge selection of courses to choose from around the world opening up your options when finding the best course for you.

You can do all kinds of courses online these days. You can even get a nursing BSN to MSN online. If you do choose one of these online methods, be careful to not take on too much at once. Doing a full time job and a degree at the same time is possible, but not easy. You may be better off taking on less work or waiting until kids are in school.

Consider low-cost programs

Some universities and colleges around the world are now bringing in low-cost programmes for older students that can make getting an education more feasible. These may only be available at select institutions, so your options may be more limited.

There are also sponsored courses, which some companies may offer. These may be offered to new applicants as an incentive to join the company afterwards or they may be a reward for older employees to help boost their skillset. These will likely only be short courses and small qualifications, but could still be valuable. That said, you should only really do this if you really want to work for the company offering this course.

Another option could be an accelerated course, which may be completed in a shorter period of time. These are sometimes cheaper because they are shorter, but may involve having to cram in information at a faster rate than a standard course. If you think you can handle such a course, this could be a good option, allowing you get the qualification you need fast. However, if you’re not a fast learner, you may find such a course too difficult. You may be able to ask the people taking the course on their recommendations.

Are You Trying to Rent a Home in a Foreign Country? Consider These 4 Tips Before Signing Your Lease

Are you planning to move to singapore? Each year, thousands of people make a move to a new country looking for job opportunities or a new start. While moving can be very exciting, a lot of work will need to go into planning out this process. One of the main things you need to be concerned with when moving to a new country is finding the right housing. Usually, there will be no shortage of options when it comes to homes and apartments to rent in a new country. Without a bit of time and research, you face the risk of making serious mistakes. Below are some of the things you should think about before renting a home or apartment in a new country.

1. Start Your Search Online

Getting an idea of what type of housing is available in a particular country is easy with the use of a powerful search engine like Google. By searching for long term rentals in a particular country, you should be able to get list of available properties. Before going any further with a particular property, you will need to take the time to properly vet the company with the listing. Taking the time to do a bit of research will allow you to figure out whether or not a particular real estate company is legitimate or not. Failing to do your homework before dealing with a particular real estate can lead to a number of problems and may lead to you being scammed.

2. Avoid Paying For a Rental Sight Unseen

If you are looking for a home or apartment to rent in a foreign, you have to avoid paying for it sight unseen. Unfortunately, there are a variety of scams out there involving real estate rentals. If you pay for a property without looking at it first, you are putting yourself in a very compromised position. Before making a decision regarding where you are going to move, you need to plan a few trips to the country in question. Not only will this provide you with an opportunity to get a feel for the country itself, you will also be able to look at the various rentals. Getting this type of firsthand look will allow you to decide which housing options in your new country is the right fit for your particular needs.

3. Call Vacation Rental Companies

In some cases, finding rental properties in a new country can be a bit difficult. If you are having a hard time finding a home, then you may want to contact a vacation rental company in the country in question. Oftentimes, these companies will have a number of long-term rentals they can offer. Contacting a variety of different companies is the best way to keep your options open. The amount of time and effort that is put into this research process will be more than worth it when you are able to find the right rental property.

4. Read Over the Lease Carefully Before Signing It

Once you have found a property that you want to rent, make sure to read over the lease agreement carefully. The last thing you want is to get wrapped in a long-term lease with a variety of stipulations. If the contract is written in a foreign language, you should find a translator to work with. By doing this, you can get to the bottom of what the lease is and whether or not you need to sign it. Rushing through the lease signing process will generally lead to a variety of mistakes being made. Rather than regretting this decision later on, you should work hard to understand everything that is in a lease agreement before signing off on it.

Working with real estate professionals in a new country is a great way to find the best properties available. Research each of the agencies available to you is the only way to ensure the right choice is made. 

TV package options to keep all the family entertained

Watching the Kansas City Royals play 2015.

It may now seem like a distant memory, but it was only around 15 years ago when most of the country only had access to five TV channels. Nowadays, most of us expect access to hundreds of hours of on-demand family entertainment whenever we require it. While this explosion in choice is welcome, it does make choosing the right family entertainment package a little trickier than ever before. Many broadband packages are now bundled with subscription TV products - these solutions can provide excellent value, but with thousands of individual packages now available, how can you be sure that you're choosing the right one?

That's why we've put together this guide to some of the best family entertainment options out there. Read on and we promise you'll find something to keep your loved ones entertained this Christmas and beyond.

Do you have the need for speed?

Many of the TV package options that we'll be discussing are delivered over your broadband connection. That means that you'll need fast internet service in order to make the most of them. A fiber service is the best option but, unfortunately, fiber is not available in all areas. A good comparison website such as Broadband Choices will be able to let you know what services are available in your part of the country. Just enter your ZIP code and telephone number to see the results.

The big two: Sky and Virgin Media

When you think of subscription TV companies, you probably think of Virgin Media and Sky. The cable and satellite operators used to have total dominance over the industry, but the emergence of a number of upstarts like EE and TalkTalk TV as well as the explosion of Netflix has made life a little trickier for these two players in recent years. The good news for customers is that this means that much lower prices are available. It's now possible to get a great family entertainment package that includes movies and a galaxy of kids' channels for under £50 a month including your broadband and line rental.

If you go with Sky, you may be able to take advantage of Sky Q, which allows you and your kids to watch the programmes you've recorded on tablets in the house and out and about. Trust us, we're sure this will be a very popular option with the little ones. Virgin Media, on the other hand, will be able to offer you their latest TiVo box which gets to know the programmes you love and offers Netflix support.

The other options

TV options from the other major providers such as EE, BT and TalkTalk are a good compromise between the cost of Sky and dumping your TV altogether and going with Netflix. They'll still allow you to watch live TV on channels like BBC One, ITV and Sky One but they also come with a huge on-demand library. All of these services offer Freeview Plus functionality which allows you to pause, rewind and record around a hundred of the most popular TV channels straight to the hard drive of the device. Most also support Netflix and other popular streaming services like BBC iPlayer and the ITV Hub.

Cutting the cord

If you feel you can live without any live TV then you could save a bundle by only taking a subscription to Netflix or NowTV. Netflix's library of content continues to grow every month and there's now a substantial library of kids' movies and TV shows. Don't forget that some shows do expire so you do risk your little ones' favourite show suddenly being unavailable one morning. Sky's NowTV service has recently launched a kids service that allows you to enjoy several of the biggest kids' TV channels and a whole library of on demand content for well under £10 a month.

The range of on-demand TV options is changing all the time and every month brings more options for keeping the family entertained. Hopefully, we've cut through some of the jargon and confusion and you'll find one of the options we've discussed will be perfect for you and your family during the holiday season and beyond.

How to Reconnect With Your Teen

A little vacation or getaway is the perfect opportunity to reconnect with your teen ... and other kids as well!

When the kids are little, you almost look forward to the teenage years. Parenting a baby or toddler is tough. They need you, for everything, all of the time and it can be overwhelming. You long for the days of them being able to do things for themselves and growing into their own independence.

Yet, when it comes, it brings its own challenges. 

Parenting never really gets any easier, it just changes. Teenagers today are faced with insurmountable pressures at school and from their peers. They feel they need to look and act a certain way to fit in, they are inundated with pictures of beautiful people online, with perfect lives that they need to emulate. It can all get too much. The pressures of being a teenager, as well as hormonal changes, can lead to negative behaviors and mood and quite suddenly your once lovely child that needed you, is someone that you don’t quite know how to be around. 

But, having a positive relationship with their parents can help them negotiate their teenage years without issue as well as enriching your own life. Here are some great tips to help you to reconnect with your babies.

Go for a Walk

We complain that our children spend too much time on phones and tablets. But, if we're completely honest, this is something that most of us are guilty of. Try to go on regular family walks and impose a tech ban on this time. Being outdoors, away from real life can sometimes be all it takes to get them to open up to you again.

Start a Hobby Together

Teenagers have a habit of thinking that they are alone in their feelings and that they are the first person to have them. Starting a new hobby, something that you can share and do together is a great way of bridging that gap. You could build a website together or try a new exercise. Try to make it something that neither of you has any experience in so you can have fun learning together.

Take a Break

Taking a vacation is the best way to escape from the real world and leave your troubles behind. Visit Zion National Park Hotel for a relaxing break away from all of your stresses. Spend some time exploring nature, playing games and eating together as a family.

Try to Keep in Touch

The passions, interests and even vocabulary of youth seem to change all of the time, and it’s certainly very different from when you were younger. Try to keep in touch with what your children like and who they are. Ask them about things and show a genuine interest. They’ll love getting to teach you something for a change.

Trust Them

Trust is a big thing for teenagers. Showing that you trust them will help your relationship massively. But, make sure there are clear rules and boundaries and consequences if they break them.

Parenting a teenager can be difficult, there’s no denying that. But, it can also be great fun. As they approach adulthood, family time together will be limited. Enjoy it while you can. 

Today I trusted my son to drive himself and my daughter to homeschool co-op and home!!!

Tips for Harmonious Traveling With Kids During the Holidays

Traveling with kids can be a challenge, to say the least, especially on holidays. Factoring a child’s needs into your travels involve a lot more than bringing in lots of snacks and making toilet stops.

In this article, we’ll provide real-life advice on travelling with kids in tow so you can enjoy your holidays without all the unnecessary fuss.

Give extra time. Whether you’re at the airport, sightseeing or getting from one place to another, you need to take your time. Kids love to explore and don’t actually care for the time pressure when travelling, so accept it to retain your cool. Factor in the gawping, faffing, stalling, and occasional tantrums into the timeframe.

Book ahead of time. It pays to book ahead whether you’re staying in hotels or camping. You cannot retain the spontaneity of travelling that you had before having children. Oftentimes you’ll find yourself in situations like arriving at your destination with tired, hungry kids melting down in the backseat.

Provide them with a camera. Providing your kids with their own user-friendly and robust camera encourages them to observe their environment and focus on what interests them. It also preoccupies their time and gives them the chance to appreciate your travels more. You’ll be surprised at the results from their view of things. Rocks, ants, random animal poo, gutters. Awesome!

Prepare for any climate. This may be a simple advice, but children dressed comfortably for both weather and terrain will enjoy their environment better. With all the gear available, there’s actually no excuse for kids using suits that are ill-fitting.

Use apps to your advantage. There’s little need to cram toy boxes into hand luggage when travelling wherever. Simple bring with you a tablet and download loads of apps and games for in-flight or on-road entertainment. Just remember to set rules and it’ll be a comfy ride for everyone.

Bring medicine. Whether they’re jet-lagged, eating less healthily or having runny nose due to the change in climate, kids always seem to catch illness during holidays. Pack an easy-to-swallow medicine and other essential medical items with you, including plasters, wipes, sting treatment, thermometer, etc.

Avoid sweets. Giving in to the temptation of feeding your children sweets can backfire during your journey as it can make them hyper for hours. Pack a mixture of savoury snacks like breadsticks, cheese cubes, bagels and fruit – anything to avoid arriving at your destination with children in the middle of a sugar rush.

Check your passports. Passports have a habit of running out when we’re not looking, so allow at least four weeks to renew them. The cost of a last-minute passport is huge, and irritating if you only realise it’s essential when already in the queue at your destination.

Secure a travel insurance for everyone. Any traveller worth his or her salt – or parent/s travelling with kids for that matter, must not skimp on a good travel insurance. The good news is that most insurers provide complimentary travel insurance cover for your dependent children, which means they will receive the same type and level of cover as you, although some benefits may not apply.

End Note That’s it. Remember, the key is right planning and sticking with your plans, including itineraries during your holiday trip. Make use of these tips to have a harmonious holiday with your children in tow. Have fun!