IQx.com – Colleges Information Online

Tag: classes

  • Iraq Degree

    “James McLeod presently serving the US Army on his third term in Iraq, serves as a Mental Health Advisor for the troops. As the Mental Health Advisor, his position entails helping soldiers deal with stress: job stress, psychological stress and the stress of everyday living. Managing this stress is essential to being deployed in the field.

    While soldiers thrive on a certain amount of stress, too much can lead to health problems, causing weakness and breakdowns. His job is an essential one and the troops rely on him for help. So what does a Mental Health Advisor, whom soldiers come to for stress relief, do for his own mind?

    This brave soldier has found the time to pursue a college degree: a BS in Culinary Management through the Art Institute Online. McLeod got his associate degree in 1995 from the Art Institute in Atlanta, Georgia and wanted to complete his degree with a Bachelor of Science. The Art Institute Online provided both the flexibility and high-quality learning McLeod needed to pursue his passion in the culinary field, even while being deployed in Iraq.

    He began his classes in January 2006 to be more competitive and knowledgeable in his field. McLeod plans on opening a Meals on Wheels program for the poor and sick when he gets back to the states. “Working in health care has taught me a lot about people. One of the big reasons why I want to do this is because I love to help others that are in need. A lot of time the reason why most people die is because there is no one there to feed them. Having a program like this gives me an opportunity to help those that are in need of at least one good meal a day.”

  • College Myths (Last)

    This is fourth and final addition of the IQx college myth list.

    Myth #16 – A lot of extracurricular activities will compensate for poor grades.
    Yes, colleges do consider out-of-class activities such as athletics, student body, and drama when they review an application. However, universities first look at the academic record. The extracurricular activities generally only help after an academic transcript is looked at and it is considered to be good enough.

    Myth #17 – Liberal arts colleges don’t have good science programs.
    On the contrary, most liberal arts colleges have been emphasizing science for all students for over a hundred years. Since the best way to learn science is by doing science, small colleges with small classes and fewer students in the laboratories often have an advantage. As a result, far more physicians and Ph.D.s have earned their undergraduate degrees from small liberal arts colleges than larger universities.

    Myth #18 – A student’s college experience will be pretty much like everyone else’s.
    This is impossible and always will be. Everyone has a different life and everybody experiences many different things during their college years. When one may take five classes and only go to dances, another may take four classes and do student body leadership. A student’s experience is utterly unique in his/her own way.

    Myth #19 – The federal government provides most of the financial aid.
    A majority of the aid that is received from the government will come in the form of loans. For the last several years the amount of money made available in grants has been shrinking while the amount available in loans is increasing. Often, the amount available from various sources will depend on the kind of college you decide to attend- State schools will have most of their funding come from the government while private schools are often able to offer scholarships from their own funding and have more flexibility in creating financial aid packages.

    Myth #20 – Colleges are concerned only with my intellectual and academic development.
    Many colleges and smaller universities pride themselves on their ability to “develop the whole person”. Some of this personal development comes from requiring a broad-based general education that contributes to the understanding of the world. In some cases, personal and professional development is intentional. At these colleges, there are workshops open to students on time management, developing relationships, handling oneself at a job interview, and the responsibilities as a citizen.

  • College Myths (First)

    There are many college myths that come up when a student is choosing which college he/she wants to go to. This is first of the IQx college myth list.

    IQx Myth #1 – Standardized tests, such as ACT, PSAT and SAT, are a lot more important than high school grades.
    Grades demonstrate a student’s drive to learn. Universities are aware that a student’s performance in high school is a much better predictor of college success than any standardized tests. However, this does not mean that universities will throw away a student’s test scores. If a student’s scores and grades differ immensely, then the admissions officers will examine the application into more depth.

    IQx Myth #2 – A student should go to the most prestigious college that he/she is admitted to.
    A student should not go to a college simply for “the name” or because it ranks number two in the nation. A student should go to the school that he/she personally likes the most. This includes liking the college campus, food, environment, etc. If the student goes to the most elite university but hates everything about it, he/she will not fit in and feel miserable the whole time.

    IQx Myth #3 – It is better to get good grades than take challenging courses.
    Undertaking challenging classes projects to colleges that the student can handle challenging courses very similar to that of a college class. Getting a 4.0 in the minimum required classes in the high school does not display any bit of hard work or ambition.

    IQx Myth #4 – Colleges need a certain amount of students, so it is easier to get accepted.
    Selective private colleges and most state universities get way more qualified applicants than they can possibly accept. While some colleges may have difficulty finding students, many would rather admit fewer students than admit unqualified students. Each year, there are only about 20-30 universities in the United States that accept every applicant.

    IQx Myth #5 – If a student did poorly in 9th & 10th grade he/she has a low chance of being admitted to a selective college.
    One attribute universities look for in applicants is improvement. When they see a jump of work ethic, they may consider letting the 9th and 10th grade grades slide a bit. The improvement must be over time though, and one semester of change will not affect anything.