Thinking About University? Read here!

"Deciding whether or not to go to University is an important decision and will definitely shape your future career. Since you are reading this, you have probably already decided that Higher Education is for you, but now is time to consider which course, which university and what you hope to achieve in the future."


Why University?

You may not have really considered this question fully - you may have just assumed that University is the next step in your education, however it is worth pausing to think about the benefits a University education will bring you. There are many decisions to be made and all of these choices may seem confusing, but these pages are designed to help make the decision process easier for you.

Some students may have been encouraged to continue their education by parents or teachers; some students are excited about leaving home and gaining their independence; some people may be determined to pursue a particular career and a university education may be the only means of achieving their goals. Whatever the reason, a university education is a valuable thing and once you have your degree - you have it for life.


What are the benefits of having a degree?

You may have been told that a degree will guarantee your dream job and you will be able to earn a lot of money. For some people this is true, but it is usually not that simple. Many people who go to University have not yet decided on their future career, but studying for a degree does give you more time to make up your mind.

A degree, like any other qualification, is just another step towards achieving your goals - it is not a fast-track pass to a dream career. Some students may choose to do a Postgraduate qualification after their degree and in some cases it is necessary to do a vocational course in which you specialise and train for a particular career (such as the PGCE for teaching and the LPC for Law).

Choosing a subject isn't the same as choosing a course. Studying a subject at one university can be quite different from studying the same subject at another University. The course content can vary greatly and the teaching methods may also be different. You also need to decide whether to study a single or joint honours degree and choose a second subject if necessary.


The University Experience

As you probably know, going to University isn't all about studying. For most people, going to University is the first time that they will be leaving home and it is a significant time in their life.

University gives you the chance to meet new people, learn new things, and encounter new experiences. Living in a new area of the country (or world!) may seem daunting but with so many things to do it is an exciting and interesting time. As well as managing your studies, your time will be filled with a busy entertainment and social life.

Going to University is also a chance to broaden your horizons. Many courses offer the opportunity to work or study abroad, work in industry or business, gain valuable work experience and develop important skills to enhance your prospects.

Student Perspective

Why choose Warwick? What is it like to be living at University for the first time and sharing halls of residence with other students? What's different about studying at University?

Here's a video:
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/living/perspective


Font: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/thinking/


Posted by: Ana Paula

Could we live without internet?

Imagine this. You've lost your job. All you can think about are gigantic bills and the loan you have to repay. You look for work everywhere. You find a job and try not to notice that the air-conditioning leaves much to be desired. That the coffee is not machine-pumped espresso. That your chair doesn't swivel as much. Then you realise that only one machine is hooked to the Internet, and you're sure you're never going to survive.

With more and more people getting hooked to cyberspace, being disconnected in a totally connected world is like being left out of the gang. For most, it's like a drug -- one that calls for a daily fix. "If I'm not online, I'll probably wither away and die," says Ayesha Banerjee, who works with the Times of India in Chandigarh. "It's become like breathing." Savita Sharma would have much the same opinion. When she worked as an Internet strategist, she spent 85 per cent of her work time online. Later, moving to the position of brand strategist for a Web site ensured she spent as much, if not more time, surfing. But a nine-month gap between jobs forced her to switch from a leased line to slow dial-up one. "It was a pain trying to get through slow servers," she says. "It would take 20 minutes to access a site and another 20 to log into my mailbox -- this, of course, not counting the several times I would get disconnected and would have to dial in again."

For Annie Zaidi, switching from a dotcom to the position of a reporter for a print publication was a major shift -- especially in terms of Internet access. "My first job required constant connectivity. We also had TV cards installed on two computers so we could capture live images from news channels," she says. "But, when I switched to print, we had to work with old machines that crashed easily, leaving us with little time to do anything except key in our stories and check email." Electricity cuts and technical problems were as hard to handle at her earlier workplace though. "When the servers were down, which happened frequently, or we lost electricity, it was a major pain. We were left with zero work because everything was online." With the Internet being used for much more that email and chatting, Zaidi believes not being online can be a hindrance to her work. "So much reference work and background research is done online," she says. "I don't see how any professional can afford to not have complete access."

There are those, however, who feel that being online constantly infringes on personal time, as you have to constantly be on call. Given the addictive power of the Internet, being connected is also likely to keep users hooked to their computers. "If you were to pit the Internet against lack of exercise and socialising, I'd say I feel worse being online," says Sharma. Zaidi agrees it is also a distraction. "If I need to concentrate on what I'm doing, it's better not to be online," she says. "Writing a 500-word article, for instance, takes thrice as long if I'm online and chatting, as opposed to doing it offline."

Some people can, and some can't. How about you? Are you connect all day long or just when you need? Can you live without internet? Think about it.

See you soon!

Posted by: Ana Paula

Harry Potter Vs Twilight

Saturday in home, just thiking about what post here. Well, how about the two best sellers that become great movies on the cinema? Yes, I'm talking about Harry Potter and Twilight serie. Those two books sold millions of copys around all the world. The authors should be proud of themselves, because Harry Potter and Twilight beat lots of another great books on the bookstores.

But, can we compare those histories? Lots of people discuss what's better, and right now we'll see what some people think about the question 'Harry Potter Vs Twilight, who's better? Why?'.


Bleh says: Both had the potential to become great books. Both made it, but for completely different reasons. Harry Potter made it because it appeals to a large fanbase, has a deep and complex storyline, and is just a plain great work. Twilight appeals to moronic preteen girls, and on occasion the older lady that still thinks she's hot and the henpecked husband. It was also helped because the story is easy to read. Dumber people need easy reads, hence the popularity.

:] says: People do not like Harry Potter because they heard Harry is hot. People like it because it's a wonderful, original tale. Twilight stole most of its ideas from Anne Rice, deeming it unoriginal, and most fans only like it because they're team Ed or Jakie. And Smeyer loves her thesaurus, doesn't she?

Josy says: I think twilight is better. Harry Potter is boring to read, but with reading twilight, it's a real page turner. Plus the twilight movie was better than the Harry Potter movies.

Tay says: Harry Potter because Twilight is a good book but its not as good as people say. The Movies are better too. In Twilight Edward looks like a fish in the sun, when vamps arent even supposed to sparkle! Then its wayyyy to popular! The characters are way better in Harry Potter. The Twilight books are too predictable! The Twilight movie is cheesy and the Harry Potter movies arent. Its common since. J.K Rowling is a way better writer then Stephanie Meyer!

Latinach says: I like both but I think I like Twilight a little bit better bc, I really love romance novels and Twilight is that, still love Harry Potter though.

Jessy says: Twilight is lovely, addicting and I totally enjoyed reading it. I amen't in love with Edward Cullen or Jacob Black like all the other girls of the age group 12-17 are.......sure they are hot......but I loved Twilight because it was a great book.But Harry Potter is pretty cool too. And J.K.Rowling rocks too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!But Twilight is better and will be. I stick to that, no matter what anyone else says.


Lots of people, diferents opinions. And what about you? What'd you like better? Leave your coment and your opinion about these two competitors.

See you soon guys.


Posted by: Ana Paula

A healthy way of getting inside !

Have you ever thought that some simple things could help us so softly that we couldn't even notice ?

In our routine, there are a lot of "barriers", which help us keeping a healthy life and sometimes avoid some diseases. Staircases are a good example. They can help us losing weight and also avoidind a sedentary life.

"Climbing stairs is a well-established way to help keep fit. But many staircases don’t lend themselves to climbing. They are tucked away in hard-to-reach places and unappealingly designed and lighted.

Now, researchers are urging building designers to rethink their approach to stairs — even including using music — to encourage people to use them more.

Writing in The Southern Medical Journal, the researchers said that even a moderate increase in the use of stairs could play a role in helping to solve the nation’s weight problem. The lead author of the article is Dr. Ishak A. Mansi of Louisiana State University. His wife, Nardine Mansi, an architect, is a co-author.
The authors pointed to several characteristics of stair design that discourage regular use.

To begin with, they said, stairs are generally viewed mostly as a way to leave a building in case of fire. Because of fire codes, the article said, they tend to have heavy spring doors and no carpeting. They are also not air-conditioned.
Instead, the authors said, stairs should be made a central feature of new buildings and be designed to draw people to them. Even in existing buildings, they said, improvements can be made.
In one study, the article said, researchers looked at increasing stair use at a workplace by adding carpeting. They also painted the walls, put up artwork and played music in the stairwell. And they put up motivational signs encouraging people to take the stairs."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/health/research/16fitn.html?ref=nutrition

Why not include this habit in our lives as something healthy, safe and without any restrictions? It could be a good alternative for those who don't like wasting much time in gyms, or "controled" exercises. Try this advice, your body will thank you, and your life will be much better!

Pedro Casadei