Celebrating 57 Years of Changing Lives

Happy Birthday Grantham University! On January 2nd, Grantham commemorated 57 years of helping working adult students change their lives and achieve their dreams of earning an undergraduate or graduate degree.

Do you need help finding a new job or updating your resume?

Grantham University now has Student Progress Representatives (SPRs) trained in providing advice to you about choosing the right degree and resources for resume writing, basic job search direction and interviewing tips. This service is provided at no additional cost to our students. If you are looking for a new position or if you are thinking about changing careers, help is only a click away. Visit the Career Resources Web page, click on the Contact Us link at the bottom and complete the form. One of our SPRs will contact you within 48 hours. Many students have already received assistance from the center and have reported great results.

We Need Your Picture!

Grantham University is working on a multi-media project with the Career College Association, and we would like to include photos of our students. Please e-mail photos of yourself studying in your "usual spot" whether that is at home, at work, at the library, etcetera to: svalley@grantham.edu by Friday, January 18th, 2008. If your picture is chosen for the project, we will notify you by e-mail. Thank you in advance for your help!

Friends of 28 Years Earn Their Degrees Together

Melody Weaver and Lavinia Roberts started out as co-workers in the Federal Government. They were hired in the same office six weeks apart and became fast friends when their desks were placed in the hallway due to lack of space. In 1982, Weaver and Roberts decided to take college classes together and thus began their 25 year journey toward earning their degrees.

They began taking classes at lunch and in the evenings until they learned about Ohio University's distance learning classes which were completed by correspondence. But, they quickly became dissatisfied with the program because they had to mail their assignments to the school for grading. As a result, their classes sometimes took almost a year to complete, and they could only take two classes at a time per their base regulations. Both Weaver and Roberts realized that it was going to take much longer than they originally planned to earn their associate degrees, and began looking for another university.

Weaver and Roberts first heard about Grantham University through one of their union newsletters. After speaking with an Admissions Representative, Weaver said they decided to enroll because "Grantham offered online classes only, which allowed us to complete our degree together and at a faster pace."

While completing their degrees, Weaver and Roberts took advantage of the resources offered by Grantham. Not only were they able to complete their classes at a faster pace, but they also used the Bulletin Board to meet fellow students, including a female service member stationed in Germany that happened to be enrolled in the same course.

In early 2007, both Weaver and Roberts earned their Bachelor's degrees in Business Administration. For Weaver, earning her degree was mostly a personal accomplishment. She is the only one of her five siblings who decided to go to college. Currently, she is five years from retirement, but if a better position opens up at work, her degree will give her more leverage should she choose to apply. Roberts plans to join her siblings in some new business ventures when she retires. "Having a degree will definitely be an asset in this endeavor," said Roberts.

Congratulations Melody and Lavinia on achieving your goals!

* If you haven't already, please visit the student Bulletin Board. It is a terrific place to meet other Grantham students for fun and networking. To access the Bulletin Board, log into the Student Site and click on the Bulletin Board tab at the top left of the page.

Scholarships

Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Scholarship - The National Military Family Association's Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarships are awarded to spouses of Uniformed Services members (active duty, National Guard and Reserve, retirees, and survivors) to obtain professional certification or to attend post secondary or graduate school. Scholarships range in amount from $500 to $1,000.00, and the number awarded each year varies depending on funding. Applications will be accepted beginning January 15, 2008. To apply, visit: www.nmfa.org.

The Non-Traditional Student Scholarship - The American Legion will award five scholarships, each in the amount of $1000, in the 2007-2008 administrative year. One $1000 scholarship will be awarded in each division of the American Legion Auxiliary. Applicants must be a member of The American Legion, Auxiliary, or Sons of The American Legion and shall have paid dues for the two preceding years and for the calendar year in which application is made. Applicants also must be students who have had at least one year of college and are in need of financial assistance to pursue an undergraduate degree. The scholarship deadline is March 1, 2008. For more information and to download an application, visit: www.legion-aux.org.

New Horizons Scholarship - The Royal Neighbors, "nontraditional" scholarship program provides educational support to members who don't fall into the usual college age range. Ten scholarships are open to female members ages 35 and older. Scholarship amounts are available up to $5,000 for part-time students or full-time students enrolled at an accredited college, university, junior college, or vocational school. The application deadline is January 31, 2008. To apply, visit: www.royalneighbors.org.

Stay Clutter-free: Begin the New Year with a Clean Slate

Many people avoid "de-cluttering" their homes for a number of reasons. Some people find the task tedious; some suffer from disposophobia, the fear of throwing things away; and others don't know what to do with the goods they no longer want. While it may be easier to just avoid de-cluttering altogether, it is important to know that our physical environment can have a greater affect on us than we think. Living among clutter can lead to frustration when important items cannot be found among the disorganization. Also, a cluttered space can contribute to a cluttered mind, making it hard to concentrate on the task at hand. Instead of waiting for spring cleaning, here are a few tips to help you begin the New Year with a clean slate:

Getting Started...

Invite a Friend - Sometimes nostalgia gets in the way, causing people to keep items that they never pay attention to until it is found again during their next de-cluttering session. Have a close friend help decide whether or not it is in your best interest to keep certain items.

1-Year Rule - If you have clothing that you haven't worn in a year (one full winter and spring season), it's time to let them go. It may seem like a good idea to keep clothing you have out-grown as a motivator to shrink back down to your previous size, but consider rewarding yourself with a new wardrobe instead.

Keep a Regular Schedule - Clutter becomes a hassle to clear when it accumulates. By continuously clearing out old items from your home, the clutter becomes easier to maintain. Keep a regular schedule for your de-cluttering sessions. For instance, try 30 minutes every other Sunday. Maintaining this routine will prevent clutter from building up and help avoid those hectic and tiring de-cluttering sessions that could last for hours.

Also, if you have items that you aren't sure whether or not you'll need in the future, keep them in a box. If they remain unused for one year, toss them.

Out with the old...

Donate - Instead of tossing your old clothes and used items in the garbage, donate those goods to others who could benefit from them. Your donations could very well make a change in someone else's life this holiday season. Try these Web sites to locate a local Goodwill or national charity: locator.goodwill.org or www.give.org.

Sell What You Don't Need - Put the belongings you no longer want up for sale. You may need to obtain a permit to have a garage or yard sale, so check your city regulations before setting up shop. Pick a weekend for your sale and advertise the date in the local paper.

If you don't have space for a garage or yard sale, try posting your items on eBay, an Internet auction site. Although it will cost money to post your belongings, it could be well worth the investment, especially if you receive a bid for an item that is much higher than you expected.

Tips for Writing the Perfect Term Paper

Typically, the start of a new course means a whole new final project to agonize over. But this time, when you are assigned that 20 page final paper, hold in your groans. We're going to review some term paper writing tips that will get you an A.

• Topic: Choosing a topic can be one of the most challenging aspects of writing a paper, especially when your professor says that you can write about whatever you want. Don't pick a topic that is too broad or too narrow. Your topic should also be interesting and easy to explain. For example, you might not want to write about the benefits of molecular engineering for your Sociology class. Jot down a few topics and do some preliminary research to see which topics have the most current information. That's the topic that you'll probably want to choose.



• Thesis: Once you have chosen your topic, develop your thesis around it. A thesis is the main argument of your paper. Developing a thesis will help you organize and create your paper. For example, if you decide to write about the Internet as a marketing tool, your thesis might sound something like this, "Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, companies should capitalize on this potential by using web pages that offer both advertising and customer support." Keep in mind that as you begin your research, your topic may change and your thesis may have to be revised.



• Research: One of the biggest tips regarding research is, don't put it off until the last minute. Your professor has probably given you most of the semester to write your paper, so why wait? Have you ever heard the expression, "The early bird gets the worm?" Well, it's true. Don't arrive at your college's library one week before your paper is due and expect to find all of the books and articles you need. Chances are one of your classmates has already reserved them. To begin your research, use search engines, articles, and Web sites. In the case of Web sites, URLs that end in .gov, .edu, or .org may be more reliable than information found at a .com. In either case, it is important to evaluate your resources and understand where they obtained their information. Also, don't rely completely on Web sites for your sources, your local library is full journals, periodicals and books that professors will want to see cited in your paper.



• Outline: Creating an outline for your paper is important, because it ensures that you will touch on all of your main points in a logical format. To create your outline, list all of the important points that you want to cover, group any like ones together, and then put them into an order that makes the most sense.



• Rough Draft: Creating a rough draft should be the easiest portion of your assignment. Just sit down at your computer and let your thoughts flow. Save the formatting and revising for when you are done.



• Revisions: Provided that you planned ahead, don't look at your rough draft for a few days. When it is time to do your revisions, you'll be reading it with fresh eyes which will enable you to spot sections where your research, content, or arguments need to be stronger. Ask yourself if your thesis statement is clear and easily understood; if there is a clear introduction, body of the paper and conclusion; if the order of your paragraphs make sense; if all of your sources are cited properly; and most importantly, make sure your paper says what you want it to say.



• Proofread: This is a very important step in the term paper writing process. Oftentimes, points are deducted from a paper, not because the content wasn't good, but because there are careless grammatical mistakes. If using proper grammar isn't your strength, ask a friend or colleague to read your paper. One very effective proofreading tip is to convert your paper to the Courier font and read it out loud. Because Courier uses equal spacing for all characters, it forces you to pay closer attention to the text.

Finally, your paper is complete and ready to be submitted. Writing any paper is much easier when you follow a well thought out approach. Now that you know the basic steps, tackling your next paper won't be nearly as difficult.

Upcoming Events

January 10th - Whiteman AFB
January 14th - Marine Corps Logistics Base
January 17th - Scott AFB
January 24th - Andrews AFB
January 24th - Offutt AFB
January 25th - Los Angeles AFB

We invite you to stop by and visit with Grantham University's representatives when they are in your area. For more information on the upcoming events, please contact your Student Progress Representative.

Quote of the Month

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.

~Henry Ford