Graduation Parties » Graduate

Post-Chat Q & A with Rajiv Jain, Indian Kenyan Cinematographer, Bhartendu Natya Academy of Dramatic Arts Graduate – Lucknow, India

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 07:32:14 +0000

Post-Chat Q & A with Rajiv Jain, Indian Kenyan Cinematographer, Bhartendu Natya Academy of Dramatic Arts Graduate – Lucknow, India

The following questions were submitted during our chat with Rajeev Jain, but went unanswered during the session.

Wahi: Rajiv, why did you choose cinematography and not photography?
Rajeev Jain: It’s more like it chose me. While studying drama at the graduate level I began to study still photography with a fabulous man named Surendra Jijaji. He had been one of the photographers working along with theater groups for the living during the depression. He was the most inspiring teacher I had ever met, and my love of still photography grew to the point where I thought I would prefer to pursue a career there, rather than as a cinematographer. I had been shooting a few public service announcements around that time, and shortly after getting my diploma’s degree Late Renu Saluja called and asked me to work under Mr. Binod Pradhan which put me officially in the film business. Once I was in, there was no turning back.

Wahi: Who were the DP’s you studied?
Rajeev Jain: I watched a lot of the cinema classics when I was a film student, so I was heavily influenced by the likes of Subroto Mitra, K K Mahajan, Ashok Mehta, Binod Pradhan, and Santosh Sivan.

Wahi: I’m a film student and we only use digital cameras. Is that going to be good or bad when I try and get work in the industry?
Rajeev Jain: I guess that’s going to be a plus because any type of shooting is better than talking about it, and it looks as if the industry, or at least part of it, is trying to go that way. What you have to watch out for is the tendency to take lighting for granted since you almost always have enough light and the exposure is automatic. It’s not just about quantity, but rather the quality and direction of the light. Keep in mind that we more often that not supplement and control the light even in situations where we have enough light to expose film. That’s one of our main contributions to the tone and emotion of a scene.

Wahi: Is there a type of narrative film you like to shoot? Are they particular directors you like to work with?
Rajeev Jain: I suppose I’m pretty open about the genre, I can get excited about shooting anything as long as there is a chance to do something interesting with the photography. I do have some favorite directors, and rather than name names, I’d rather say that they have several things in common. They have a strong visual sense, are passionate about their work, and give it their undivided attention.

Wahi: Many feature films like Rang De Basanti? and Black and the upcoming Sawariya have utilized the digital intermediate for color timing certain sequences. Do you foresee the digital intermediate as the future and if so, do you feel that DoPs with a background in music videos and commercials will have an advantage?
Rajeev Jain: Telecine technology provides unparalleled opportunities for color grading. It is the ultimate in moving image control, you can isolate individual colors, tonal ranges and areas of the frame and manipulate them to create the best possible image. I’m very excited about the break through of this technology into the feature film world, and look forward to the results as it helps to further elevate the art of cinematography. Obviously, those familiar with the potential will be more likely to embrace and exploit that potential. We are viewing images daily that in some cases simply wouldn’t be possible any other way. If there is a weak link in the system, it is that there is no true equivalent to the old straight across 25-25-25 printer light which shows you exactly what is on the negative. Colorists will sometimes offer something up that is supposed to be what is on the negative, but it is usually very flat and off color, and never resembles my Polaroids, a work print, or anything else for that matter. Since there is no true normal setting, things tend to get a bit more subjective. It’s still necessary to deliver a good solid negative that’s got a “look”, but once you’ve got that in your hands, digital color timing can be your friend.

Wahi: Do you think music videos have an influence on kids and on our values?
Rajeev Jain: I’m afraid they must. They have too much exposure not to. Unfortunately, their influence is probably not for the better.

Wahi: Why do you shoot your videos in the Super 35 format? I understand the resolution issues, but does it really matter when you’re eventually going to broadcast quality images?
Rajeev Jain: Everything should be shot in Super 35. It’s something I’ve been doing for about four or five years now, and I’m told it’s pretty well caught on. I hear from the colorists that 60 -70 percent commercials and music videos that they transfer are Super 35 now-a-days. Why wouldn’t you want to make use of the extra 25 percent or more negative area. There isn’t even a cost increase involved. Like everything I shoot, my two most recent concert jobs (Carry on Pandu & Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree) were done on Super 35, and in both cases the letterbox format of a 1.85 ratio was chosen. Due to the lateral increased area of the full aperture negative, we were able to shoot with 3 perf pull down cameras with a 25 percent saving on stock and processing, which is huge when multiplied by multiple cameras and multiple shoot nights.
There is also less reloading because the rolls last an extra 33 percent of shooting time, resulting in less down time. We were taking superior pictures to those we would have taken if we had shot conventional 35mm, for less money. How often can you combine those two? You imply that the additional quality could be overkill, I don’t agree, I contend you can still see a difference, and you must consider that the increased negative area allows us to push the photography even further. With all the dialogue about film vs. video going on these days, shouldn’t we want the best quality film look we can get?

Wahi: When I look at your vids, it appears you use almost the same colour scheme all the time. Is that the result of using the same colorist?
Rajeev Jain: I’m not certain that I agree with the “all the time” part of your comment, but I must say that I am more inclined towards the warm tones in photographing my subjects, than I am towards using the cool blue tones or cyan. I can assure you that there are at least seven different colorists that have transferred my best known videos, so that’s not it. The director’s vision and the stylist and production designer’s input probably have more to do with the color scheme than anything else. I react to what I am given

Wahi: It seems it is easier for new directors to break into the music industry than new cinematographers. What recommendations would you make to the aspiring DoP trying to break into the industry?
Rajeev Jain: I have to agree with your observation, and although it appears to defy conventional wisdom, the labels do seem to be much more likely to take a chance on a new director, particularly if they can team him/her with an experienced cinematographer. The only recommendation I can make is to Shoot, Shoot , Shoot as much as possible. There is a vast amount of knowledge to acquire, and theory can only take you so far. Beyond that there is a lot of trial and error, and the sooner you get those errors out of the way, the better. Shoot everything you possibly can, and take time to evaluate your results, making note of what works and what doesn’t. Gaffing seems to have led to shooting for many of music videos hot new DP’s, so you might also consider working on lighting crews any chance you might get. Telecine is also a huge part of the image making process in music videos, and I always recommend that aspiring cinematographers do what ever they can to observe in some important telecine sessions so they can learn or at least feel comfortable with the workings of this tool.

Wahi: What are the advantages of shooting super 35 for telecine.
Rajeev Jain: I guess it’s my job to keep repeating this over and over again until it becomes an industry standard as put forth by Vittorio Storaro in his Univisium proposal. Let’s try this analogy. If you were making a mosaic of a given size, in this case the size of your television screen, using 1000 tiles, wouldn’t it look even better, be sharper, and more realistic looking if you made the same image using 1250 smaller tiles? You see the increased negative area of Super 35 uses 25% or more grains to make the same picture, rendering each grain smaller, and thereby increasing the resolution. There is also something magical that happens when you widen out on the gate of the telecine machine in this final optical stage of the process. You would also be amazed at the ability to pull clean blow ups of 50% or better to extend your coverage in situations where you may be a bit short. The only downside to Super 35 is that there isn’t anymore image to reposition with than you have on your full aperture negative, unlike normal 35 which gives you the opportunity to repo into the unused areas. I prefer to think that our ability to compose a shot should be good enough to make use of all the negative area available, rather than hold some back for the occasional mistake. It does require a bit more concentration at the time of shooting, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I mentioned 3 perf pull down in response to an earlier question, and I should mention that many of the television productions shot on film are currently using 3 perf super 35 cameras using the central 1.33 aspect ratio for broadcast at the moment, but protecting (keeping clean of equipment) the full Super 1.85 aspect ratio for future HD syndication with it’s 16:9 aspect ratio. Univisium is getting closer all the time.

Wahi: How much do the directors concern about the cinematography? Do they want a special f-stop or do they just say “make it look cool”?
Rajeev Jain: The director/DP relationship can have a pretty wide range. In some cases the director will have a strong vision and it is your job to realize that vision through your collaboration.
Some directors, in some situations, will have strong ideas about the film stock, lighting, lensing, and overall look of a film. On the other extreme, you may be asked to “make it look cool”, or you could wind up somewhere in between. No matter which, it is the cinematographer’s job to embellish and perhaps improve upon that vision, or perhaps even supply a vision when there isn’t one. Very few directors that I’ve worked with actually discuss specific f-stops. This is the DP’s domain, and not many directors even dare to go there.

Wahi: Would you recommend someone who wants to be a DP to just bite the bullet and buy an Arri III as a way of breaking into the world of commercials and music videos. Or do you think Hi-Def. video will be making substantial inroads in the next couple of years as it already has in the feature community.
Rajeev Jain: I not sure how much of a foothold HD will get. The Association of Independent Commercial Producers recently cancelled a symposium they were holding on HD commercial production due to lack of interest reflected by ticket sales. You could say it’s not broken, so why fix it? As far as buying a film camera goes, I have owned my own camera in the past, and depending upon the type of work you are trying to get, and where you live, it could help you to get jobs, but I caution you against building an equipment empire which could have you using less than state of the art equipment and eventually hold you back. There is nothing as educational to a young cinematographer as actually shooting and evaluating the results. So anything that facilitates that is a positive. I guess I’m saying that if you choose to go there, make the best of it, but keep an eye towards a day when you can get out of the equipment business so you can fully devote yourself to the art of cinematography.

Wahi: You seemed to benefit early in your career from mentors. Has this been a motivation for your mentoring up and coming DoPs?
Rajeev Jain: I know that when you are standing at the mountain of cinematographic knowledge it seems so huge, and it just seems right for us to share our experiences and shed light where we can.

You’ll Never Graduate From This School

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 10:22:40 +0000

It’s graduation season, and odds are you know someone who is involved with a graduating student.

I drove by my alma mater, Creighton University, the other day on the way to the airport. It seems like yesterday that I was still there attending classes. Reading hundreds of pages weekly, doing papers, projects, speeches, investing many hours in the library doing research…pulling the occasional all-nighter to cram for an exam when I got a bit behind in the work, because I also had a couple of jobs. Oh rest assured I did more than my share of the college party thing, but often had to set aside other activities, saying, “Nahh, I have an exam. Need to study.”

I wasn’t a straight-A student, but did pretty well because I cared. And most anyone who halfway gave a hoot about being in school for the learning can relate to what I’m talking about.

The fact is, is if you wanted a good result, you needed to push yourself to do the work and learn the material. The same, of course is true for today’s students.

But, what happens when we leave the formal institutions we call “school”? When we get out into the school of hard knocks, the real world. The one we’re in the remainder of our lives. The one that determines how much we earn.

Hmmm, have you pulled an all-nighter lately studying up on sales skills?

How many pages of sales skills material have you read in the past week? Heck, the past year?

How many hours have you invested on researching the psychology of sales, your sales process, questioning techniques? How much have you practiced?

How often do you review the way you sound on the phone?

How much did your college tuition cost?

How about your books for a semester?

Compare that to how much you invested in your own self-development, as it relates to sales, in the past year. How does that compare to what you spent on coffee, or at bars, restaurants, or pay-per-view movies?

Note to Sales Pros: please do not rely on your company to provide you with everything you need. Some equip their reps with lots of opportunities for growth, others fail miserably in this area, yet expect great results (I’ll get to them in a minute). As Zig Ziglar said, “What you do off the job determines how well you do on the job.” If you want to grow, it is your personal responsibility. Whatever is provided to you is a bonus.

And by the way, here is something I’ve never heard from the leading salespeople, but hear quite often from the strugglers: “I’ve had sales training before.” That’s like saying, “I had math in the second grade. I don’t need it again.” Or, “I’ve had chicken pox.”

Most people don’t know what they don’t know. IF they’re doing something wrong, how would they know, and get better?

Lots of people get really good at being bad, by continually repeating the same mistakes.

One more thing: be humble about learning. I truly believe in and live the adage, “The more I learn, the more I realize how little I really know.” Yet, after a training session I’ll oftenhave someone come up to me and say, “Thanks, I knew most of this already, but it reminded me of a lot of things.”

Yeah, I know I’m not supposed to raise my body when I strike the golf ball, causing it to go wildly right into the woods. or desert. The fact is, I haven’t practiced enough lately to USE the information when I NEED it, and make it a part of my habits and skills. Never be ashamed about learning.

Note to Managers and Owners: What do you invest in to really, truly develop your people? And I’m not just talking about buying a book and putting it in the library in case someone wants to use it. I’m talking about working with your people, listening to calls, evaluating, coaching. Regularly.

Are your sales meetings sessions where you go over administrative details, or do you get into the nitty gritty of how to actually open up a call, get to a decision maker, ask questions, deal with resistance, move opportunities forward and close business?

You might not believe some of the nonsense I hear when it comes to companies and their sales training. It is absurd, really, when you think that a firm will pay thousands of dollars per year in salary and benefits to hire and employ salespeople, allow them to talk to hundreds of prospects and customers per week, yet many don’t provide more direction or training than, “Go over there and listen to Pat make calls, then get on the phone next week.” And Pat, by the way, was probably trained the same way, and the same wrong, resistance-inducing techniques are passed down.

If you coached or owned a professional sports team, would you allow your team to just play games and not practice? Lots of businesses do just that every day. The champions practice.

I actually heard this from a company recently: “We’re thinking about doing some training with our salespeople in the fourth quarter (they’ve had none so far), but we don’t want to spend too much, and can’t take more than a day.” Good thing they’re going to wait, because I bet the salespeople working for them right now won’t be around. They probably won’t sell up to the company’s expectations and get fired.

I am amazed at how companies will throw huge money at technology, but virtually nothing on their most important asset, their people, and what they are actually saying on the phone.

Note to the Skeptics Out Who Think I’ve Written This Just to Sell Stuff: That will probably be a result, and that’s good because I’m in the business of helping salespeople sell more. In fact, I do hope we sell tons of resources as a result of this sale, since that means my message resonated. (For complete info on the sale we are running right now go to http://www.businessbyphone.com/grad.htm)

However, if I can get just one or two people to email me”"and they will–saying how they are just starting in sales and were inspired to invest more time in taking advantage of all of the great free sales material on the Internet, I will feel gratified.

Am I trying to shame and scold people?

No, I don’t need to. I’m throwing out ideas for people to react to. Of course many of the people reading this”"hopefully you”"are already sales-info junkies, devouring all of the good stuff they can lay their eyes on. And I have worked with many, fine, SALES organizations (you know who you are). But there are others who look at sales more as a job or a manufacturing position than what it really is: an art, a science, and a skill. It is, indeed, all of those. The master sales pro researches, studies, and practices. And, by the way, cashes nice checks.

I’m not going to sit here and claim that I’m perfect. I did a self-inventory and realized that as my business has grown, and I’m pulled in many different directions, I know I can push myself even more. It’s just like taking care of one’s self physically; it’s a matter of determining what you value, and what you’re willing to do to get it done. I know I can, and will continue to, carve out more time to further my own knowledge.

How about you?

Action Step
As we observe students graduating, it’s a great time to make a commitment to our own self-development. What will you do? Don’t just think it or say it. WRITE it down, And then DO it. Every day.

You will never graduate from the school of sales. You either get better, or you decline. And you pick up momentum when you’re headed in either direction.

Art Sobczak, President of Business By Phone, provides proven ideas, tips, and processes to help salespeople use the phone to prospect, sell and service without morale-killing rejection.

5 Fresh Steps Will Help You Graduate to High Payoff Activities!

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:35:31 +0000

If you’re like most people who are running a business, as an owner, an executive or an independent professional you get so immersed in the doing you miss your own graduations.

Two of my clients are graduating this week.

“Judy” has been studying how to run her professional services firm in a more productive and profitable way for over 6 years. “Michael” has been getting a masters degree in marketing his business.

Don’t let appearances fool you! They aren’t in formal school environments. Yet I know from personal experience how powerful the recognition of being finished with one stage and moving on to the next can be. The characteristics that mark your advancement in school are just as appropriate for our advancement in your business lives.

There are specific ideas you can learn from graduations that will have you advancing from your old habits, old decisions and old actions.

Step 1 – Identify What You Need To Know

I know – it seems obvious when I say it. But most entrepreneurs I work with are so busy in the ‘doing’ that they never stop and ask “What do I need to know to accomplish my goals?” Successful leaders and managers spend time figuring out what their staff needs to learn. You need to ask yourself what information or capabilities you need.

When you commit to finding out what you need to know your attention shifts from ‘what I now know,’ to ‘what I’m ready to know now.’

Step 2 – Find A Source To Learn From

Marvelous things happen when you declare you want to know – new people and new sources of information suddenly present themselves as your perfect source of learning!

I’ve learned over the years from comments made by more experienced professionals, from books and articles, from conferences, teleseminars and from formal educational programs. And at times I even learn what I need to know through the internet or someone sitting next to me on a plane. And let’s not forget there are informational interviews, golf buddies, vendors and magazines.

Step 3 – Calendar It To Get It Done

Deciding to get information is not enough. We’re all living very busy lives and we need to use the tools that keep us moving from idea to action!

Pull out your calendar and block off 15-minutes to start your search. Once you’ve started it you can calendar the next block of time and the next until you’ve found your source, and probed for the information you need. That may be setting a date with yourself to read, to go to a conference or to sit with an expert to get answers directly from them over their desk or a cup of coffee.

Step 4 – Put The Information To Use

The best schools are those that not only share the information but also give the students the opportunity to apply it and learn from the results.

The same holds true for you in your business. To get High Payoff results, you need to put information to the test by using it, tweaking it, modifying it until it proves to be a tool that will make your efforts more productive and profitable.

Step 5 – Celebrate It

Re-balance your life! Don’t just cross things off that To Do list. Our daily lives are filled with To Do lists. Hour by hour we stare at To Do lists that are the same as declarations of everything that needs doing, that hasn’t been solved yet, that’s a problem or challenge.

Our souls need moments of acknowledgment for what has been accomplished. That includes learning, applying new information, getting new results. Each of these is a mini-graduation as you increase your ability to create High Payoff results.

Get the proportions shifted to give more attention to what has been accomplished, learned, applied, created, achieved! Announce what you’ve learned to other people at work and at home. State it specifically in meetings. Report on exactly what you did in each of those first 4 steps AND the result that you’ve created.

Make these steps techniques that you use and you’ll soon find yourself giving more and more attention to ideas and actions that will move you forward to your next level, and your business success along with you. You’ll have ongoing opportunities to bathe in cheers and to share them with others around you.

Congratulations on your graduation!

Management expert, consultant, and coach Linda Feinholz is “Your High payoff Catalyst.” Linda publishes the free weekly newsletter The Spark! to subscribers world-wide and delivers targeted solutions, practical skills and simple ways to build your business. If you’re ready to focus on your High Payoff activities, accelerate your results and have more fun at it, get your FREE tips like these visit her site at www.YourHighPayoffCatalyst.com

Graduate School Marketing-Social Media

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:10:34 +0000

Good morning and welcome to the weekend!

As you take a look at statistics, prospective graduate students are using social media more and more to find their schools. The current stat is right at 52%. source: NAGAP)

So I know what you are thinking, how do you put your school’s best foot forward and draw graduate students using social media. Here are some practical tips:

- do not respond right away to negative posts (very hard not to, always respond with a cool head)
- do target geographic members within 50 miles of your campus (various sites have tools to do that)
- do join graduate students online communities, have one member of your staff coordinate all social media activities
- set up a twitter page, and tweet regularly (new class announcements, app deadlines, consistent messages across the board)
- do join sites such as college confidential.com as representatives of your university, regularly engage graduate students in online discussion
- hold bi-weekly chats on graduate studies on various online forums
- encourage and offer incentives to current grad students to engage these individuals (ones currently studying marketing!), remember current students are your best salespeople
-promote the message of health insurance (if you have), discounted tuition, and consistent academic excellence across the board
-advertise your graduate programs in other campuses newspapers (especially ones you already are drawing from)

-advertise your MBA program with local businesses, especially ones you know of that offer tuition reimbursement programs

-sponsor local community events that are important to your demographic audience and the community

best,

matt (marketmpb)

Matt Blum is an online marketing expert with over 12 years experience in business and higher education.

You Can Graduate College Debt-Free

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:01:01 +0000

Is it possible to graduate college debt-free? Unless you’re from a wealthy family, this may seem like an impossibility. But it can be done, if you follow the advice in this article. But be forewarned, it’s not easy. And it can’t be done unless you’re willing to think strategically and work hard.

Before you go out and start applying for student loans, you should pursue financing that doesn’t have to be paid back – i.e., grants and scholarships. It is definitely a good idea to work and study hard in high school. If you have good grades, you should qualify for some kind of scholarship at your school that will at least partially offset your tuition. Another area that can help you with scholarships is your extracurricular activities. Like it or not, you need to think of your high school career in terms of building a resume. The better your resume, the better your chance of getting scholarships. The more things you can do to get your tuition bill down to start with, the easier it will be to figure out how to fund the rest of it.

There are a number of different need-based grants, such as Pell grants, SMART grants, and SEOG grants. There are grants provided by the federal government and grants provided by the states. If you know where you are going to school, you should probably call or visit your school and ask for information about grants and other student aid. You can also find a lot of information by searching online.

The first step in applying for financial aid, such as grants, is filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The FAFSA has a little over 100 questions that help the government and institutions get a good picture of your financial and academic standing. A lot of financial documentation is required to complete the form, so you should give yourself plenty of time. To make things as easy as possible, you should use the FAFSA4Caster, which is an online application that helps you estimate your eligibility for federal student aid. The information you enter in the FAFSA4Caster can also be ported to the real application, which will save you some time.

If you’re serious about graduating from college debt-free, then you want to avoid student loans. However, the FAFSA will also help you get student loans if need be. Many private student loans offer very good interest rates, so it’s definitely an option.

There is a growing trend in the U.S. of high schools offering classes to students to let them earn college credit before they even enter credit. This is FREE education that will reduce the number of hours you need to take in college to get your degree. You should definitely take advantage of this opportunity if it is offered by your school. The fewer hours of classes you need in college, the less money you’ll need to pay tuition.

If after applying for grants and scholarships, and getting as many credit hours as you can in advance, you still need money, there’s always the old fashioned way to get it: working for it. Possibly the most popular way for college students to make good money is waiting tables in restaurants. In a good restaurant, you could make up to $20 per hour or more. If you’re not the waiting type, you may need to think out of the box. Any job will do, but to pay tuition and living expenses, and still have some money left over, you will probably need to make more than you can make working for minimum wage. Some possibilities include buying and selling items on eBay or offering tutoring services.

Our final tip is to graduate early. You don’t have to spend four years to get your degree (and certainly not five or six, as some students like to do). If you take a heavy load every semester, you can graduate in three or three and a half years. Obviously, the fewer semesters you have to pay for, the less you’ll have to spend. Sure, you’ll be working hard and may not be able to party with your friends as much. But if you’re serious about graduating from college debt-free, then you’ll do what you have to do.

Student Loan Financial Group makes life easier for students with its Quick-To-Learn private student loans product. Our online application only takes about 15 minutes, and you get an answer within a week.

Graduate School Survival Guide – Top 10 Tips to Survival

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 21:20:03 +0000

Announcer: “And tonight on Grad Nite TV it’s time for the Top 10 Ten List. Tonight’s Top 10 is ‘How do I Survive Graduate School?’”

And the top 10 ways that you can survive graduate school are:

#10. Stay focused. The road is long, but by staying focused on your goal of successfully completing your program, you can make it a smooth ride instead of a bumpy one.

#9. Keep up with assigned readings, project tasks, and research. It is much easier to break your tasks, assignments, readings and research into smaller segments. This alleviates you from having to cram everything into one night or one day.

#8. If you don’t know the answer to something, then ask. There is nothing wrong with not knowing the answer to everything. If you do not know or understand something, then ask a classmate, a professor or someone else who will know the answer. Just to put your mind a little more at ease for asking questions in class, the answer to your question will not only help you, but it will also help your classmates as well. Most likely, someone in your class has the same question, but was too afraid to ask it.

#7. Make a plan and stick to it. Create a written plan that details out your goals, tasks, and deadlines. Also write a plan on the tasks that you must complete to achieve them. You may have different plans like daily, weekly, monthly and semester long plans. Just make sure that your daily plans help you achieve your weekly plans, and that your weekly plans help you achieve your monthly plans, and so on.

#6. Introduce yourself to new people. The people you meet and interact with may prove to be important contacts to you at some point during or after graduate school. By increasing the amount of people that you know you are increasing your chances of finding new and interesting opportunities.

#5. Don’t cheat! Sometimes the easy way out is not the most beneficial thing for you in the long run. With well thought out plans and task lists there won’t be a need for you to cheat because you will be organized and on task.

#4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Everyone needs a little help sometime. Ask you professors if you don’t understand something or if you need clarification on something. That is what they are there for!

#3. Get a study buddy. By studying with a friend or classmate you can compliment each other’s strengths and weaknesses. They may have something in their notes that you don’t have and vice versa. Plus, it makes it easier to study when you have a partner to push you along and they have you to push them along.

#2. Manage your stress. There is no doubt that graduate school is stressful. It is important that you manage your stress. Eating healthy and getting enough rest, along with being focused and organized, will help to keep your stress level to a minimum.

And the #1 way to survive grad school is…

Learn work, school, and life balance. You need to learn to balance your schedule so that you have time for all aspects of your life including school, work and home. It is important that you take time to participate in leisure and relaxation activities that you enjoy. This will help you to live a more balanced life, preventing you from burning out from school overload!

In all seriousness, grad school is a big challenge. It is important that you follow these 10 survival tips to make your time there as productive and pleasurable as possible.

Kristie Lorette is a feature writer for CareersandEducation.com. Review more of her work and read about using a Career learning center and explore her thoughts on online degree programs and online colleges.

Nku Announces New Graduate and Certificate Programs

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:06:08 +0000

Northern Kentucky University is announcing the addition of a new master degree program and several certificate programs, as well as significant changes to some of its long-standing master degrees.

“Higher education prepares our population to succeed in this changing world,” said Dr. Salina Shrofel, dean of NKU’s graduate programs and assistant provost for research. “The expanding global economy, the rapid growth of technology and our increasingly diverse culture demands that education be fluid and capable of adapting,” she said. “The faculty at NKU put a great deal of thought and careful planning into each program’s development.”

NKU will offer a Master of Arts in English and a Graduate Certificate in Professional Writing beginning this fall. Directed by Dr. Roxanne Kent-Drury, these flexible programs will offer job preparation for professionals who write in business, non-profit, technical and scientific fields, as well as for language arts teachers in the region.

“This is a perfect degree for individuals who want to advance in their careers,” says NKU Literature and Language Chair Danny Miller. “Degrees in the disciplines help candidates get the job, but advancement is often tied to writing ability. Our program will contribute to the economic future of the region by helping teachers instill good writing skills in their students at all levels of education while also helping working professionals to enhance their individual skills once on the job.”

Dr. Kent-Drury, formerly a writing practitioner in the aerospace industry, adds that “the ability to write clearly and concisely has a huge impact on business efficiency. Both the MA in English and the Graduate Certificate in Professional Writing will be valuable to anyone who needs highly developed critical thinking skills in their jobs.” The program also plans to create an outreach center for writing that will offer consulting services to businesses, non-profits and the community at large.

The NKU College of Arts and Sciences has realigned its Master of Public Administration program, adding three areas of concentration. Joining the existing concentration on Nonprofit Management will be concentrations on Homeland Security and Metropolitan Government. Both a master’s degree and certificates will be available for each of these concentrations. “We are the only school in our area to offer Homeland Security and Nonprofit Management,” stated MPA director Dr. Shamima Ahmed.

In addition to changes in the public administration field, the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies is also undergoing changes. In the fall, the name of the program will change to the Master of Arts in Integrative Studies.

“This name change is a better reflection of the course content,” said program director Dr. Debra Meyers. “Individuals in our program receive a diverse interdisciplinary education that is useful in a variety of career paths. The program really ‘integrates’ all the best that NKU has to offer.” A certificate in civic engagement will also be launched in the fall. The courses are designed to be of value to religious and nonprofit leaders.

Joining the list of new programs are new online degrees and courses. “Hectic schedules are a challenge to area teachers more than ever,” observed Dr. Paul Wirtz, director of many of the programs available through the College of Education and Human Services. “This year we added an online Master of Science in Instructional Leadership in Education to the online Master of Arts in Education degree. Those in the educational arena can receive the quality courses they need in a much more convenient fashion.”

In addition to the new programs, NKU is working to expand and grow its System Security certificates program. “This is a particularly vital area of study, and NKU is one of just a few schools in the United States to offer courses and certificates in data and system security.”

“I am delighted with the direction NKU’s graduate programs are taking,” said Dr. Shrofel. “We are responsive to the economic needs of the region and to the goals of the students.”

Peg Griffin is an administrator at Northern Kentucky University’s Office of Graduate Programs. NKU Graduate School offers I-O Psychology , Psychiatric Nursing graduate degrees, and more.

Graduate Diploma In Law

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 04:22:43 +0000

I received an email yesterday from a student who had decided to become a lawyer, has signed up to do their graduate diploma of law and legal practice course and was wondering what to do next. She said she was feeling a bit overwhelmed as to what she ought to be doing in the meantime. Apart from the obvious advice that we always give, which is to make sure you really do want to be a lawyer before signing up to do these courses and spending over £12,000, that is to get some experience in exactly what it is a solicitor does in practice.

This diploma campus based program of legal secretary is not a pre-law course. In fact, it is a learning of law and its applications to day to day life. The key feature that makes this program unique is it helps students understand laws and policies that generally influence businesses or people. Apart from this, the coursework within this field primarily includes studies in the basics of the legal system, law, law writing, business ethics and liability, and its politics. A legal secretary diploma program can help you understand the process required to perform secretarial duties for a law firm.

The day graduation finally arrives is certainly a cause for celebration. Whether completing a four year bachelor’s degree or a master’s after that, it is a day to gather the friends and family to recognize all of the hard work that went into it. Then the party ends and it is time to move on to the next chapter. Although some people choose to take time to travel or volunteer around the world, for the majority of college graduates, the next step is finding a career. It is not always easy and it takes even more hard work to find the ideal career, but it is worth it in the long run.

The people who wrote these verses spent a lot more time finding the right words than we usually do. Sometimes they’ve even spent years expressing the kinds of thoughts and feelings that can occur to the graduate. Then the student can use these poems, quotes, etc. in announcements, commencement speeches, and thank you cards.

The definition of special education is: individually based education that prepares a student for post school learning, employment, independent living and financial self sufficiency. If a child continues to need functional skills training, more academic learning, help in areas of skill deficits, transition services, job skills and training, and/or related services they are not ready to graduate.

No Classes Necessary. Legitimate colleges entail real coursework, either in a brick-and-mortar classroom, or online. If you discover an advertisement promising degrees based on “life experience,” you’re looking at a pitch from a diploma mill.

Every year there is a list published containing the names of the best graduate schools. There is a lot of hype attached to the ranking but it should be merely used as a guideline. Many colleges do not make it to the list but are well reputed and provide students with a good quality education. Generally, the national universities are rated as the best colleges. They provide academic excellence, have a good faculty, superb infrastructure and offer a wide range of subjects.

The laws regarding high school diplomas also vary from state to state. Most states, though, require that you spend one to four years in a high school environment. There is no minimum age requirement, but most states say you have to earn your diploma before you reach twenty-one years of age. The curriculum varies from district to district, as do the course requirements. You will have to complete the work that your district requires. You will also have to complete the appropriate attendance requirements.

Read About Career guidance and also read about law institutions and graduate diploma in law

Helping Parents Of High School Graduate

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 11:39:09 +0000

Graduation fever is in the air. Everyone including the high school students, their parents and friends are enthralled and extremely excited for the day. Whole market is buzzing with parents busy in selecting gowns for their children. Everyone is in the competition to out do others in choosing the graduation cords. Some parents order regalia online and some do it on phone. Whatever be the mode of purchase, they make sure that their child looks great on the day.

There are other parents whose children are also graduating high school this year but they are not that excited for the day. The reason was that they don’t have enough money for the preparation of graduation ceremony. There is couple of things that you need for the day and after:

A sober set of cap and gown for graduation because without it the school will not allow the student to attend the ceremony.
A gift for the graduate to acknowledge his success.
A proper announcement card to tell people that the person has graduated.
Fund to host a graduation party on the success of the student.

All these require a lot of money which out of budget for some parents. They feel helpless and desperate to give a grand treat to their child but things are out of their hands. There are many steps that can be taken by the school and the students to ease the burden of these parents.

The school normally has a database of old students. These students can be contacted and requested to lend their old graduation caps and gown. Many students will come forward to help the school.
Many a time schools keep a stock of graduation caps & gowns which they rent it out to the students in the graduation ceremony. The school can come forward and lend the cap and gown to the needy student without charging anything from them. It is an easy thing and can be followed by the school every year.
Every school has some funds that they collect from the students, in the form of late fees, fines, etc. This fund can be used and a small portion of it can be given to the parent. The parents can return the money in small installments in a relaxed period of time.
The parents who are planning for individual party can act a little generously and allow the needy parent to host their party also. Both parents can then distribute the expenses among themselves.
If hosting the party together is not possible then there is just no need of giving a graduation party. Those expenses can be saved and later used to buy something more useful for the child.

In the days of recession when he prices of everything is going up, you do not need to waste money in showing of. That money can be wisely on something more fruitful and productive things.

Commencement Invitation and Graduation Invitations for Graduate

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 07:17:53 +0000

Commencement Invitation and Graduation Invitations for Graduate

When May rolls around, the stores start filling up with decorations and graduation invitations, http://www.graduationcardsshop.com. If you’ve got a teenager leaving high school or a young adult preparing to finish college, then it might time for you to start focusing on the commencement invitation and thinking not only about planning a great party but also on choosing the right present to show how proud you are of their accomplishments. Below are some gift ideas you might want to consider and might be good to pass on to people who receive your invitations for graduation, http://www.cardsshoppe.com.

High School Graduation Invite & Gifts

When teenagers finish high school, they usually already have some idea of what they will be doing next. If your graduate is planning to head for college, then you might want to look for gifts that will be practical for them. For example, a laptop computer can be an excellent choice. Your son or daughter will definitely need one while attending college. Other traditional ideas, such as a car or money, may also be a good idea.

For people who have received your graduation invitations, http://www.express-invitations.com/graduation-announcements/graduation-invitations.php you might want to recommend gift cards to stores where your son or daughter can purchase items for their dorm. Gift cards to the college bookstore are a nice idea as well. If those invitations graduation reach people who want to purchase something practical and personal, then they might want to get some type of engraved item, such as a pen or key chain. Digital photo frames can also be a nice gift.

If your high school graduate isn’t planning on heading to college, then money is always going to be a useful gift. For a student who already has plans to move out on his or her own, having everyone who receives graduation stationary pitch in cash to cover the first and last month’s rent will provide the former student with a great start to an independent life.

College Graduation Invitations & Gifts

Although high school graduation is an important day, finishing college is truly an important milestone. Your son or daughter had to put forth a great deal of work to achieve this goal and it should definitely be rewarded with a nice gift. Most college students finish their degrees in debt so money is definitely one of the best gifts. If you don’t feel comfortable just handing over money, offer to pay off one of your student’s credit cards. That’s something that would definitely be appreciated.

If you want to have everyone who receives discount graduation invitations, http://www.cardsshoppe.com/graduation-announcements/graduation-invitations.htm pitch in, you could put together enough money to send your son or daughter on a great trip that will give him or her a chance to relax before starting a career or heading off for graduate school. You could also reward the graduate with a day at the spa, a shopping spree for a new professional wardrobe, or anything else that will help him or her start off in the right direction. Just remember not to pass on these suggestions on the commencement invitation, http://www.graduationcardsshop.com

As you are shopping for online printing stationery, invitations and announcements cards, look for those shoppes that offer these advantages:

* One-of-a-Kind and Exclusive Designs * Print and Ship Your Order the SAME DAY it is Approved * Add a Photo, Picture or Logo to Any Cards on Their Site * Will Modify Any Card Design or Color on Their Site * Will Create a Design Just For You * Proof Emailed within One hour AND make unlimited changes at NO extra cost * Receive Free 10 Cards and Free Shipping * See Your Personalized Commencement Invitation, http://www.express-invitations.com/graduation-announcements/graduation-invitations.php BEFORE You Buy

Sarah Porter have written several articles about Personalized High School Graduation Announcements, FREE College Graduation Invitations, Custom Nursing School Graduation Cards, Printed Graduation Party Invitations, Photo Homeschool Cards, Cute Kindergarten & Preschool Graduation Announcements, Printable Graduation Thank You Cards and lots more for http://www.cardsshoppe.com http://www.express-invitations.com http://www.graduationcardsshop.com and http://www.cardspersonalized.com