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Admirable Effort to Support Neighborhood Business
Q: I am a small business owner who depends on and am grateful for every customer I have. A small cupcake shop opened down the street, and I like to support local businesses, so on my way to get coffee, I thought I would stop in and buy a couple of …Read more.
Defending Oneself Is Always Worth the Effort
Q: A former supervisor falsely accused me of things in order to fire me, so I resigned before she had the chance. She had no proof of any of the accusations, and she did not report anything to the authorities. That was five years ago, and I have had …Read more.
Dressing Appropriately Shows More Than Style
Q: I started a new job after being unemployed for some time. While I was unemployed, I gained weight and can no longer fit in my work clothes. I can't afford to buy new things right now. I need to catch up on my bills. I did buy new jeans and a pair …Read more.
Partner Moves Funds Into Own Account, Leaving Other Partner With Bills
Q: I am going through the biggest fight in my life right now. My husband moved our personal and business money into offshore accounts in his own name before I realized he was having an affair and I filed for divorce. He is colluding with a banker …Read more.
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Choosing To Work or To Go to School Takes On Its Own Education: Research Pays Off Before Making Life DecisionsQ: I'm not working and looking for a job now, but I'm not getting anywhere. I see ads telling people to go back to school, but I never went on to college. I have a bunch of questions. How do I know whether going to school will really make a difference? How do I know what to choose as a major if I don't know what I want to do? How will I know whether I will be able to get a job after I graduate? Finally, how will I know whether it will be worth the money? A: Life offers no guarantees on anything — dating, marriage, relocation, education. Nothing comes with a ready-made outcome, but educating yourself before deciding is crucial. All education is valuable, even if you change fields halfway through, as long as you choose an accredited school. Don't pick a field for the money you think you will make. Job popularity changes year to year, whether it's a so-called white-collar job or blue-collar job. If you don't know what you want to do, start in a liberal arts program and take a variety of courses before committing to a specific field. Only consider accredited schools for a formal education; rankings will show you which schools are more "valuable." The higher the ranking the better the school, which means a greater chance of getting a good job once you graduate. Also, use common sense in choosing schools and programs. Online education is popular now, but if you want to be a dog groomer or a cosmetologist, don't enroll in a program that offers no hands-on experience.
Provost David Clinefelter of Kaplan University — an online university with 10 ground campuses, in Iowa, Nebraska and Maryland, and 54,000 students — offers these tips: Make sure the online university is accredited and meets the requirements for academic content and rigor. Confirm that the school offers a degree that is valued by professionals in the field you want to pursue. Find a school that will accept transfer credits, if you have them, so you are not taking courses twice. Check into the academic quality control, such as whether it has consistent curricula and faculty with academic credentials. Decide whether your learning style is suited to the school's approach. (For example, if you are not independently motivated, find a school with a lot of teacher-student contact.) Access to faculty and other students is critical for some students to succeed. Also look for a school that offers career assessments, academic advising and a range of student support services. Once you find that school, meet with the financial aid department to see what loans and scholarships are available. Understand what you are taking on — the interest rates during school and after graduation. Naiveté benefits no one. Please send your questions to: Lindsey Novak, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. E-mail her at LindseyNovak@yahoo.com, or visit her Web site at www.LindseyNovak.com. She answers all e-mails. To find out more about Lindsey Novak and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.
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