A most effective and creative approach is to begin page in middle of a sentence, preferably ending thought by leaving reader in a quandary, i.e. “…because that’s way it was arranged.” Remember that this is page 217 from your autobiography. Open any autobiography, or any book for that matter, to page 217. It probably won’t start with a fresh sentence or a new paragraph. It is also important to leave reader hanging at end of page, i.e. “…As he ran into street, car continued to…”

I often critique essays for students I counsel, but never write essay for them. I cannot advise strongly enough against employing services of a professional essay service or writer! Not only is this first degree cheating, but risk/reward ratio isn’t worth it. The admissions committees and application readers are neither stupid nor naïve, and they’re on to that scam. Students should never take chance of throwing their futures away for want of a better paper! If you’re qualified to get into college, than you’re talented enough to write your own essay.

Some years ago, a wealthy family who chose not to take my advice in this regard, did just that. They apparently felt it would be sure-fire way for their son to get into an exclusive East Coast school. He had good grades, good SAT I scores and would have otherwise been acceptable, but his writing skills were, at best, slightly below average. So, they hired a professional, and their son was accepted to his college of choice.

After third week in English Comp, his teacher couldn’t believe that someone with his limited writing skills could have ever been accepted. The professor went to admissions office and reviewed student’s application and essays. His suspicions were confirmed after reading three much too professionally written essays that were in his file. He concluded that none of them could have been authored by student.

The young man was summoned to Dean’s office and confronted with evidence. Left with no choice, he reluctantly confessed that his parents had hired a professional to do his essay writing. Consequently, he was given option to immediately withdraw from classes – or be expelled for fraud he had perpetrated on school.

Students should also avoid much too popular topics that everyone else usually writes about such as, How death of a loved one or a pet had a profound affect on their life, or How growing up in an Italian neighborhood was difficult because they were from a different ethnic background. Growing up in ghetto or in a refugee camp is a far better topic, because if you did, then you actually did overcome a life-challenging situation – and that will make a far more impressive essay.

Always be sure to adhere to requirements of essay. If a 300 to 500 word essay is asked for, don’t write 501 words! Schools often do a word count if they suspect an essay is over limit, and students should always (I said always) follow instructions!

This is one of a series of articles by college admissions and financial aid expert, Reecy Aresty, based on his book, “Getting Into College And Paying For It!” For further information or to contact him, please visit www.thecollegebook.com.

I’m Afraid It Will Take Forever To Complete My Degree

Traditionally, a Bachelor’s Degree takes up to four years to complete, a Master’s Degree requires at least two years, and a Doctorate Degree can take up to eight years or more. That’s all fine and good for someone who can dedicate themselves to being a full time student, but for those who can only commit to part-time status, those timelines might appear too far off horizon.

But facts of matter are that most degree programs at today’s career colleges are based on accelerated learning, meaning that most degrees take less time to complete than traditional learning environments. Coursework is based on shorter semesters—typically five weeks—and delivering a quality education as rapidly as possible without sacrificing student’s ability to learn and absorb material. In some cases you can even earn your degree is less than a year!

I’m Afraid That Employers Won’t Take My Degree Seriously

Because their degree won’t be coming from some top-name university like Harvard or Yale, some would-be students decide that it’s not worth getting a degree from a school that employer’s won’t view as credible.

In reality, however, most employers today do view degrees from career colleges as not only credible, but oftentimes on par with their more traditional counterparts. It wasn’t that long ago that many HR professional may have viewed career colleges—particularly online career colleges—as carrying less weight than traditional colleges, but as online education space evolves and faculty members and curriculums at online schools catches up with those at traditional schools, more and more HR executives are realizing validity of degrees earned online or through career colleges. In fact, to some, an online degree represents a certain career ambition, technological prowess and commitment to seeing something through to end on behalf of applicant.

I’m Afraid I Won’t Learn Anything New Or Valuable

Many potential students are fearful of fact that their trouble to go out and earn their degree might be all for naught—that classes won’t teach them anything they hadn’t learned already in their professional experiences.

As anyone who has ever taken so much as a single class at a career college or online school will tell you, however, this perception couldn’t be further from truth. Classes at any accredited university are taught by qualified experts with lots of experience in their chosen field, while you will also be surrounded by classmates who bring their own, unique experiences to share. Whether “classroom” is physical or virtual, you will learn more than you ever imagined from those around you.

Another point to consider is that most career colleges are centered around a team learning approach, in which students learn not only from their instructors, but from other students as well. With this approach, you’ll engage in dialogues with other students who have much to share from their own work experiences, and you’ll gain valuable lessons that you can take back and immediately apply to your own work.

Why Make The Move?

In today’s modern learning environment, with numerous career and online schools focused entirely on their educational needs, adults have nothing to fear in a return to school – and so much to gain. Here are some of main reasons more adults than ever are going back to school:

Career advancement or transition. If you’re not currently working at job of your dreams, nothing can change that faster than a more advanced degree and additional expertise.

To complete a degree from years ago. Plenty of first-time college students leave before they earn a degree, and a return to college is a supremely satisfying way to take care of that unfinished business.

To set an example for their children. What better way to encourage your growing children to pursue a college education than getting one of your own?

To fully prepare for running their own business. Whether you’re interested in opening a B&B or your own accounting firm, perfect college program is available online or on-campus.

Returning to school is a big step, but it shouldn’t be an overwhelming one. For those who plan move properly and take aim on getting all they can out of life, it can be best decision they ever make.