So its the beginning of the school year, your first day of class is over, and you just want to sit down and relax for a moment because you know that the rest of the semester won’t be as easy as Day 1. You’re alone in the room. Quiet. You sit, close your eyes, roll your head to massage your neck.

WHAM!! The door flies open and your new roommate charges in with his girlfriend (or guy friend- hey you never know) the friend screaming and bursting in disturbing laughter as your roommate is silent and has this not-quite-well look in his eyes, dragging around a dead hamster, chatting about “I can’t wait to do that again…they’re gonna get what they deserve, Oh sorry [insert your name here], I didn’t see you there.” You muster up the ability to hold your tongue and you finally exhale, ever so slowly, “its okay.” Like hell it’s ok, you think to yourself.

This specific scenario describes what happens when your roommate is a “Freak” (learn more about roommate categorization in Part II of this article), and maybe this all sounds too familiar. But there are plenty of other things that can go wrong with a new dorm or apartment roommate. Maybe you’re more of the party type and your roommate thinks bible study is just sooooooo much fun. Maybe your roommate doesn’t know the meaning of “too loud,” “maybe later,” “lighten up you stiff,” or “for the last time, this is MINE, that is YOURS.” Like I said, there are plenty of things that can go wrong with the unexpected roommate. Maybe you two just aren’t compatible -but don’t worry- we here at thecollegeguys.com know just what to do.

Step one is to relax. This kind of thing is normal. You’ll find hundreds if not thousands of others who are in the same position as you are. Its one of those “please don’t happen to me” type of things, and when it does, one is usually unaware of what should be done or how to handle the situation. If you’ve been in this situation, you know what I’m talking about. First, you’re angry and get the whole “why me” syndrome, wishing your roomie was as cool as your friends’. Then you try to avoid the situation as much as possible but when it gets to be too much you experience moments of extreme awkwardness with your room-buddy and anyone else s/he’s associated with. Worse case scenario is that it starts to affect your work or study skills, and when that happens, you KNOW its bad.

Some problems are really common, such as bathroom use and privacy. The most important things to establish with a new roommate are boundaries. Your roomie needs to know what are off-limits (e.g. shampoo, bag of chips, your box of porn) and what the meaning of space is. The ability to compromise is important in relations among roommates, so you may have to give a little to get a little. You will also have to be frank with your roomie, being clear about what’s your side of the room and about clearing up scheduling conflicts, for example. Scheduling conflicts are particularly important because you don’t want to take home a major project when your roommate has penciled in a yoga session or keg party. Remember, communication is key.

Now, if you are to sort these issues out with your roommate, its important to do it correctly. You can’t just rush up to your mate and demand that you go over some ground rules….”or else.” That won’t do (however, it could be fun). What you need to do is the following:

• Be early: don’t wait until a status quo has been established… you want to make sure that early on in your relationship that you and your roommate are on the same page.

• Be sincere: don’t be demanding nor impatient, and try to be understanding of the poor bastard- otherwise, you could make the whole situation come to a head by turning him/her off any compromise whatsoever. Make your roomie believe that you want to help him/her as much as you do yourself.

• Be willing to sacrifice: have in mind what you can compromise in return for not using your closet or towels, etc.
  Now not all roommates are the same, as we will see in Part II of this article, so you may have to think twice about how to approach yours. However, follow these basic guidelines, and you should save yourself some headaches later on.

  Nostagio Onesti has written several articles specializing in college issues for thecollegeguys.com (where you will find Part II to this article and much more).

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There is a ground swell of support globally to support the growth of distance learning. Market research firms, government agencies, public and private companies, and even venture capital firms - those companies that invest in new and emerging businesses - all agree that distance learning’s future is very bright, and a good investment opportunity as well.

All this translates into a bright future for anyone looking at distance learning to accomplish their career, educational, and learning objectives. Chances are if there isn’t a program in place today for your specific needs, there will be one - soon. This article explains how the perfect storm is brewing for distance learning, in a very positive way. Several market factors are presented here, along with research from research and government agencies that show that distance learning is here to stay and may someday surpass traditional classroom attendance approaches to learning.


What’s driving Distance Learning growth?


Consider the following statistics from International Data Corporation on the market for distance learning - these figures and others are making many traditional colleges and universities re-vamp their courses and degree programs to make them available online.

• There are 133 million U.S. adults or 66% of the adult population, which have Internet access today. That’s over half the entire U.S. population and serves as a strong incentive for colleges and universities to re-vamp their programs to support this untapped educational market.
  
  
• According to International Data Corporation, over 90% of college students access the Internet, with 50% accessing the Web daily, and this is on a global scale. Colleges and universities have also found that to stay relevant to their traditional students, they have had to create online and distance learning programs quickly to stay up with their learning needs.
  
  
• 87% of four-year colleges will offer distance-learning courses in 2004, up from 62% in 1998. According to International Data Corporation, 25% more colleges and universities added distance learning programs between 1998 and 2004.
  
  
• By 2004, 2.2 million degree-seeking students are enrolled in distributed courses - CAGR of 33%. The growth of distance learning on a global scale has the attention of companies as well - they plan on spending $272B in the next five years on in-house training and education programs, according to International Data Corporation.
  
  
• 51% of all online courses worldwide have online discussion forms in 2001, growing to 65% in 2005. This is a sign of how quickly the Internet’s performance is improving around the world. The bandwidth required to support online discussions is great news for distance learning. Now even the most geographically remote student can get the education they want.
  
  
  Summary
  
  
  The implications are clear. Distance learning is growing rapidly and has been fortunate that many countries teach English in addition to their own native languages. What’s next on the horizon of distance learning is offering courses and degrees in multiple languages. International Data Corporation predicts that by 2006, 65% of all Internet users will be international.
  
  

  Rose is the editor of http://www.distance-learning-college-guide.com where you find answers, information and advice on distance learning colleges, accredited online degrees and online courses. See more related information at distance learning defined and distance learning benefits

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In today’s highly competitive college admissions process, families must never lose sight of the fact that nothing is more important to parent or child than the student’s acceptance to college. Your second priority is how to pay for it.

Planning for college can begin as early as birth, and for that matter, even before birth. Financial planning in the early years can make all the difference in the world when it comes time to have to cough up all that cash! The following are some of the best ways to save for college:

Custodial Accounts: With Uniform Gift or Uniform Transfer to Minors Act Accounts (UGMA or UTMA), parents, grandparents, etc. can each contribute up to $11,000 per student per year (2005). This money can be used for college or any other purpose. Although the money remains in the student’s name, the custodian, usually a parent, has absolute control over the account - i.e. stocks, bonds, mutual funds, savings, etc. UGMA accounts accept cash only. UTMA accounts accept cash and property.

The Downside: UGMA and UTMA accounts are irrevocable gifts that are considered student assets. Since students have no asset protection allowance, these assets are assessed at either 25% per year at schools that employ the institutional methodology, (Ivy League and high profile private colleges), or 35% per year at all the rest that employ the federal methodology! Therefore, this option must be used with extreme caution!

Education IRA’s a/k/a EIRA’s: Single parents with an adjusted gross income (AGI) of up to $110,000, and joint filers with AGI’s up to $190,000, can contribute up to $2,000 annually to an EIRA. Earnings accumulate tax-free and can be withdrawn tax-free without penalty to pay for a private elementary, secondary, or college education.

The Downside: With the current limit of $2,000 (2005), fees can eat up much of the gains in the early years when balances are small. Contributions to EIRA’s are not tax deductible and all colleges consider EIRA’s student assets and apply the 25% or 35% assessment when calculating financial aid. What’s even worse is what happens when distributions are made from these accounts. Financial aid is automatically reduced dollar for dollar, because in addition to being an asset, the funds have now become a resource! When these funds are legally repositioned outside of the financial aid formulas, then none of the money is assessed!

State Plans a/k/a 529 Plans: Anyone can open a 529 Plan in his or her own name and designate a student as the beneficiary. Up to $50,000 ($100,000 jointly) may be contributed over five years to a maximum of $246,000. Funds grow tax-free and withdrawals since 2002 have been tax-free as well.

Downside: Monies contributed are not tax deductible, and there is little or no control over how the funds are invested. Also, there is a 10% penalty for withdrawals not used for college, and 529 Plans can actually decrease chances for a large grant or scholarship - and that’s not all. When there are distributions from these accounts, financial aid is automatically reduced dollar for dollar! As with EIRA’s, having the funds legally repositioned elsewhere, will result in no assessment whatsoever!

Retirement Plans: An IRA, HR10 (Keogh), Pension, SEP, 401(k), 403(b), 457 or any other qualified retirement plan should also be considered when saving for college. Such plans are not regarded as assets and are outside of the financial aid formulas. While the account value is not considered an asset, the annual contribution made is added back to the AGI for an income assessment! The big print giveth, but the small print taketh away!

Non-Qualified Savings Plans: These are accounts strictly set up to provide funds to be used to pay for the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) or any unanticipated college costs. Families need to set up these accounts as early in the student’s life as possible, so there will be adequate money to pay such costs when the time comes.

Remember, by the time students enter high school, consideration should be given to reducing “high risk” investments. Never gamble with money that’s earmarked for education! And, never lose sight of the fact that all monies saved for college in the early years will not serve their purpose unless the student prepares for and successfully completes the admissions process.

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.

For almost three decades, financial advisor and lecturer Reecy Aresty, has helped thousands of families to protect their assets, increase their wealth, and reduce their taxes. During the 1980’s, he turned his attentions to the complex world of college admissions and financial aid. By the end of the decade, he was already saving his clients thousands of dollars on a college education!

He has authored, “Getting Into College And Paying For It,” also available in Spanish. Filled with trade secrets and insider information, it offers solutions for high school and college families guaranteed to give students the all-important edge in admissions, and parents countless legal ways to reduce college costs.

In 2004 alone, Reecy saved families hundreds of thousands of dollars! He has become a major factor in obtaining affordable, quality educations for America’s students. In doing so, he has restored the faith people used to have in one another by proving that there are still people who care, people who can be trusted, and people who actually do what they promise - and get results!

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Fly fishing is addictive. Once you start, you’ll never stop. Whether you are going to the local water hole or to Alaska, you should use a fly fishing journal to keep track of your sessions.

Fly Fishing Journals

Fly fishing is more than just fishing, it’s a peaceful, surreal activity. For many, there is almost a meditative quality to casting. For avid fly fisherman, fly fishing trips to locations such as the Battenkill River in Vermont, Green River in Utah and Letort in Pennsylvania are a must. Of course, the possibility of trips to Argentina, Alaska and other exotic locations can make ones eyes glassy. For many, however, past fly fishing experiences fade from the memory with time. If you had keep a fly fishing journal, this doesn’t have to be the case.

There are famous instances of people keeping journals throughout time. Of course, Anne Frank’s Diary is the best example. In her diary, Anne kept a running commentary of the two years her family spent hiding from the Nazis. While your fly fishing sessions will hopefully be more lighthearted, keeping a journal will let you remember them as the years pass.

A good fly fishing journal combines a number of characteristics. First, it should be compact. Second, it should have a water-resistant pages and a case to protect it from the elements. Third, the journal should contain blank areas to write your notes. Fourth, the journal should contain cue spaces to remind you to keep notes on specific things. Cues should include:

1. Who you went fishing with,

2. The weather conditions,

3. The fishing conditions,

4. The flies you used, what worked and what didn’t,

5. What you caught, and

6. Lodging and places to eat,

As time passes, your fly fishing journal can be used as:

1. A guide for you or friends that return the same location,

2. Information on gear and flies to take,

3. Memories to reflect upon years later, and

4. Something to pass on to your children and grandchildren.

Keeping a fly fishing journal only requires a few minutes of writing. You can fill it out on the ride home or during a break. As time passes, your journal will become a collection of incredibly valuable fly fishing information. Imagine the look on a friend’s face after they mention going on a trip and you whip out your journal for the spot!

Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of writing journals. Fly fishing journals are great fly fishing gifts for anglers and fly fishing trips and vacations. Visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com for more fly fishing articles and stories.

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Cleanse Your Body of Toxins - Use DrFloras Cleanse Line of Colon Cleansing Products

A toxic colon can create an immense amount of build up in your intestines. These toxins can be exposed via pollutants in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and, including but not limited to, the foods we eat. Not only is harboring potentially harmful toxins in your system an unhealthy practice, but having this toxic waste build up can lead to other things as well. Human excrement has also been dubbed as waste for a reason, because we are supposed to rid ourselves of it. You can now purge your body of its toxic fecal matter and restore your colon to health. One of the way to remove colon toxin is through the use of drfloras cleanse.

The act of colon cleansing has become more and more popular in the recent years, and the trend has only been increasing-and there is no wonder! In fact, colon cleansing has been documented as having been practiced as early as 1500 B.C. in Egypt. Not only has it been occurring for many years, decades, and centuries, but colon cleansing has been around for even more than a millennium! In fact, the act of colon cleansing has even been documented as having been done as early as 1500 B.C. in Egypt. The benefits of colon cleansing are impossible to ignore. Products such as drfloras cleanse makes colon cleansing an easy task and the benefits of colon cleansing are just too hard to ignore.The people of the past were not ignorant to its benefits, and neither are we.

DrFloras Cleanse Will Get You On The Road To Better Health

The drfloras system is a gentle, oral, dietary supplement that cleanses your colon. It removes the harmful toxic waste build up that has been accumulating in your colon. Because it has all natural ingredients, this colon cleanser will do no harm to your body whatsoever. The use of all natural ingredients in this colon cleanser ensures this products safety. If you want better health, choose to engage in colon cleansing right away.

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Ah, fishing in the rain. You may not like the rain, but the fish sure love it!

You may not believe it, but you may catch more fish while it is raining. There are a few good logical reasons for this.

First, when it rains, the worms come out… and naturally, many of those worms along with other bugs get washed into the water. The fish know this and react by feeding. The underwater world erupts into a feeding frenzy, especially if it hasn’t rained for a while.

Another reason is that oxygen levels rise from the rain hitting the water, which increases fish activity levels. There is so much oxygen in the water that it is easier for the fish to swim faster and longer without getting tired. When they see your nice tasty-looking lure, they’re much more likely to go after it.

If you’ve ever been up on a high mountain, you know how much faster you lose your breath and get tired… that’s because there’s less oxygen up at the higher altitudes… come back down to sea-level, and you have more energy and can breathe easier. When it rains, for the fish, it is like coming down to sea-level after living high in the mountains.

A third reason has to do with what the fish can see (or maybe I should say “what they can’t see”). Because of the clouds and all the ripples in the water, it is much more difficult for any fish to see you above the water. Believe it or not, under normal circumstances, fish can see you much better than you can ever see them. And when they do see you, more often than not, they’re going to be gone in a heartbeat.

No matter how crazy and stormy it is on top of the water, everything is just about as calm underneath the surface of the water as it is on a normal day. So even though they aren’t able to see out of the water as well, there is one thing that they can see just as well as any other time, and that’s your bait!

There are quite a few reason’s why fishing in the rain is probably better than fishing on a nice sunny day… and I am sure there are more reasons for this than what I have talked about. But the bottom line is that you’ll probably catch more fish when it’s raining… obviously, you might not catch as much, but experience has shown me that many times, fishing in the rain produces better results.

So, remember, next time you decide to go fishing and the weather reports call for rain, instead of canceling your trip, just smile, grab your rain gear, and get ready to have a great day of fishing… just remember, rain showers are fine, but don’t waste a second scampering off the lake if you see lightning or hear thunder… not only do you put your life in danger, but it will spook the fish enough that they won’t be feeding anymore anyways.

It may not be exactly fun fishing in the rain at first, but after you get used to it and start reeling in those fish, you’ll start liking it more and more.

Scott Pinkert runs a great Wisconsin fishing resource site called Go Wisconsin Fishing. The website is an excellent resource for everything you want or need to know about fishing in Wisconsin. You can check out the site by visiting http://www.go-wisconsin-fishing.com. For more articles like this, sign up for his monthly newsletter at http://www.go-wisconsin-fishing.com/newsletter.html

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BPH, or benign prostate hyperplasia, is a medical phrase used for an enlarged prostate. In simple terms this actually means the prostate gland, a mass which envelops the urethra and is located below the bladder, swells and can impair or stop the stream of urine. The prostate enlarges as the years pass and can create various symptoms such as problems with passing urine, a reduced stream, and also the retention of residual urine within the bladder. Night time frequency and inflammation of the urinary system can additionally be produced by prostate gland swelling. So What Is A Swollen Prostate?

Males in their sixties commonly develop benign prostate Hypertrophy. Annual examinations are urged for every man in their 50’s and beyond, regardless of the occurence of symptoms, to help sustain better prostatic wellness. Look For medical treatment directly if blood is discovered in the urine or you are unable to pass water. Treatments for an enlarged prostate may include surgery and medication. Regrettably, surgery may lead to more symptoms such as impotence and even loss of bladder control. High blood pressure drugs or medicines that shrink the prostate gland can also be suggested for better prostate gland function, but medication will often lead to undesirable repercussions what alternatives are indicated?

Prostatic Enlargment Symptoms? A Alternative Way to a More Healthy Prostate Gland: - To assist in the reduction of the symptoms caused by prostatic enlargement and to promote improved prostate health, several alternative formulae will assist in the management of the symptoms. African pygeum cuts back on inflammation, offering relief from the symptoms. A product of the fruit of an African evergreen tree, African pygeum has been prescribed regularly by the Europeans for many years as a holistic treatment to further improved prostate gland health. Dietetic changes for example a decrease in the ingestion of fats may help, so will excercising on a regular basis, an increased frequency of ejaculations to relieve pressure in the prostate gland, and avoiding sitting for a long time. Prostate associated problems are often made worse through taking anti-histamines or decongestants purchased without prescription, take these medicinal drugs with care. Cut back on caffeinated drinks and alcoholic beverage, and do not drink near going to bed to cut back night time lavatory visits. There are plenty of additional natural remedies taken for improved prostatic function — these include saw palmetto extract, starflower oil capsules, selenium, and also lycopene, which can be extracted from tomatoes. Before you commence any which alternative treatment regime make sure to talk about your intention with a physician.

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Air tools powered by compressed air can complete projects faster than any other type of tools. However, the efficient working of these air tools requires the selection of an appropriate air compressor that has sufficient air flow in cubic feet per minute (CFM - the unit for measuring air flow).

The Advantages of Air Tools

Air tools offer several advantages over conventional tools. Air tools are not only simpler to use, but also offer more torque and power. These tools are much more durable than conventional tools and just need to be connected to an air compressor with the appropriate hose and connectors.

Types of Air Compressor

An air compressor can be categorized on the basis of the power it uses. An electric powered air compressor can be used where there is an electrical supply and is suitable for areas where gas fumes are unacceptable. In comparison, a gas powered air compressor can be used in pneumatic applications and in areas where electric power is not available.

An air compressor can also be piston type with one or more tanks to store the compressed air until its ready for use. In contrast, a compact air compressor runs continuously to generate air pressure and is used to operate small air tools like paint guns, glue guns, and caulking guns.

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The most common definition of a betting house is a building that organizes card-playing. Here, patrons will be encouraged to bet handling the slot-machines or plenty of other games of luck. Betting hall games generally have mathematically calculated chances incorporated which make sure the gambling saloon retains its lead over the betting fans. gambling statistics

More often than not, betting hall games can result in you becoming hooked swiftly. Consider the the good old one-armed bandit, a coin operated gadget with three plus gears whirling when a knob connected to it is pulled. The machine by and large will pay up in accord with a given series of glyphs visible on the information screen of the gadget. Sadly, betting saloon pastimes suggest the delusion of remaining in control, effectively hoodwinking the gambling fan - the victim can make choice, but they do not realistically compensate for the client’s odds. This is induced by the betting room not returning the full wager as hoped for. This modus operandi can typically be seen at work in well-known casino games like Texas hold’em, craps, roulette or blackjack.

Texas hold’em poker is genuinely a very popular casino pastime. The gambling enthusiasts, holding concealed hands, place their stakes into a central pot which is finally awarded to the last punter retaining the winning set of cards. (And yes, the best bluff may well prevail ..) Analogous to seven-card stud, blackjack too is an immensely trendy casino pastime. An amount of its is owed to its particular mix of luck and ingenuity & decision making, as well as a process identified as card counting. The aforementioned is a skill in which players can significantly turn the probabilities of the card game to their own profit by both wagering and fundamental opetations established on the cards shown.

Craps is the name of another well known pastime using the roll of dice. Players bet on the score of 1 roll, or on a sequence of cycles on two dice. In contrast to blackjack, there just isn’t any feasible winner betting system punters can put to use to bend the odds.

Roulette is an insanely popular casino gambling pastime: a croupier whirls a roulette wheel which encloses precisely 37 (as in classical roulette) or thirtyeight (American roulette) independently marked divisions in which the pellet will then come to lie, thereby determining the winner and the other connected sequences. Whenever the participant bets on a single number which is successful so it’s indeed having a lucky day, the promised recompense is thirty five to one, the initial stake will be returned. Consequently in totality it is increased by thirty six.

Make a point of being very wary as well because these betting establishment gambling pastimes should be rated extra habit forming. A totally unacceptable number of lives are known to have been wrecked in the course of addictive gambling and even if it might be fun, do strive to regulate your gambling.

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How To Pass A Drug Test At Home

Drug test has grown into a frequent phenomenon round the earth. Numerous societies do drug exams on freshly hired individuals or existing employees to insure a drug-free surrounding at workplace.

Insurance agencies and courts direct drug exams on a normal basis on distrusted individuals. The main inquiry that comes to your head, when you go for some exam is how to beat a drug exam?

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How To Pass A Cotton Swab Drug Test

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