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Teacher Education

Perpetual Student – A Key to Career Security

I recall being 27 years old and nearing the end of my graduate studies. My grandmother, who never had an unpleasant word for me and had left school after the fifth grade, said: “Stuart, what a shame. You are 27 years old and not working.” I was so embarrassed! Now I am much more than twice that age and still working. I am also still a student — a perpetual student — but no longer embarrassed. Instead, I feel blessed.
Management guru Peter Drucker offered this thought: “To make knowledge work productive will be the great management task of the last century, just as to make manual work productive was the great management task of the last century.” Achieving success and significance requires current knowledge or, more specifically, application of current knowledge.
Each of us should strive to be a perpetual student. Continuous learning and judicious application of new knowledge and skills help us earn career security. By career security I mean much more than job security. Career security means always being engaged, as an employee or independent professional or business person, and doing what we love to do.
How can we continue to learn? The most effective way to be a perpetual student is to seek varying and challenging assignments — so that we learn as we go. “Seek” is probably too soft — we should demand varied and challenging assignments.
Consulting is an excellent platform for continuous improvement via “on-the-job-learning.” The technology-driven and client-driven consulting field demands continuous learning and, at the same time, provides many continuous education opportunities. When our children were teenagers, I recall coming home and telling them about the stimulating consulting work I was doing-new projects, new people, new locations, and new technical and non-technical challenges! The response was a resounding disinterest. Years later, my oldest daughter and two colleagues founded an economic consulting firm in California. My wife and I visited her after about a year. She was so exited about consulting and said something like: “Dad! I am exposed to new projects, new people, new locations, and new technical and non-technical challenges.” I could not have said it better.
Besides the experience route to continuing one’s education, there is also more formal ways such as university courses, seminars, webinars, and self-paced learning. Some employers offer mentoring programs or tutoring and teaching opportunities. Work in different sectors of our economy such as business, government, and academia and gain many useful lessons. Actively participate and sometimes lead committees and task forces formed to carry out well-defined charges. Travel to and experience different cultures. Get out of your comfort zone and learn.
As a result of continuously learning – of being a perpetual student, when faced with a new situation you are more likely to say: “This reminds me of…” You get the idea.…

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Education Careers

Helpful Advice To Advance Your Collegiate Career

No matter if you are a dorm dweller or a commuter, college is among the very best times in life. You’ll learn, make friends, and discover a lot about yourself. Use the following tips to help your time at college the best years of your life.

Always take some water to class with you. By carrying a water bottle, you can ensure you stay properly hydrated while on campus. This is even more crucial if your classes run one right after another and you just do not have the time to hydrate or eat. Constantly drinking water is a great way to help you remain focused throughout the day. Refill the bottle between classes at water fountains.

Keep your goals reasonable. Don’t set yourself up for failure by taking early morning classes that you already know you will never make it to. Working around your own bodies schedule can help you to ultimately succeed.

Study diligently. The more you put in, the more you’ll get out. It is okay to socialize, but treat college as if it were a job. The more effort you can put into your schoolwork, the better chance you have at having a better career after graduation.

Learn your class schedule and where the courses are held well before you actually start. Determine how long it takes you to travel from one spot to the next, and map a route. Mark your classes as well as other important locations, such as the library, on a map for easy reference until you learn them.

Sleep! When you are in college, it is easy to pull all-nighters for parties and classes and homework, but you need your rest. You may think you’ll do okay if you mess around with your sleep, but lack of sleep makes schoolwork harder. You’ll have trouble memorizing and recalling many things, and you will struggle with just about everything.

Ride the bus to your classes. You may find that it doesn’t actually take that much longer to get to school by bus. You can end up saving yourself a ton of time because you won’t need to hunt around for open parking spaces near the campus. You won’t have to spend money on parking and fuel. It’s also a good way to be environmentally aware.

You’ve probably heard of the phrase, “The Freshman 15.” If you don’t want this to happen to you, ensure you’re carefully monitoring the simple carbohydrates you’re eating. Avoid such things as sugary snacks and processed foods. Eat foods that are fresh, like fruits and vegetables, to stay healthy and keep your energy levels up. Don’t eat too much protein, though, as that has its own health issues associated with it.

When it comes to college, it makes no difference as to your current location or the age that you decide to attend. Nothing compares to college. Regardless of your major, you will benefit from the suggestions here. Use these ideas and you are sure to create a productive, fun college life.…