Joy Blanca

4 Reasons you Should Consider Getting a General Studies Degree

Posted on March 4, 2019March 5, 2019 by admin

Whether you haven’t been in a classroom environment for a while, you’re a working parent trying to pursue a higher education, or you’re a high school graduate looking for direction, getting a general studies degree can be a great idea. But a lot of people may still not understand the benefits of getting one and what they can expect to get out of them. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why getting a general studies degree might be the best choice for you.

general studies degree

Offers More Flexibility

What separates a general studies degree from other programs is that you’ll have more control over your elective and core classes. This means that you can choose any subject you like and build a program that fits your abilities. And since this major is interdisciplinary, you’ll have the chance to attend classes in different departments.

Great Option for Undecided Students

Finding out that you aren’t cut out for a program can be frustrating and costly. Too many students end up burning out in a program they know isn’t for them because of financial or parental pressure. But starting with a general studies program will allow you to test the waters and see where you’re doing the best and which classes tickle your interest the most.

Better Advancement Opportunities

In some cases, getting a college degree is essential if you want to advance. However, sometimes this college degree doesn’t have to be in one specific area. General studies is like the swiss army knife of college degrees, and will allow you to qualify for a wide variety of positions. It’s also a good choice for military students, as some of the elective credits from military training don’t apply to more specific degrees.

If you want to learn about the positions open to people with a general studies degree, you should consider looking at the information for the Touro general studies degree online. With a qualification in hand, you will be able to seek positions in sectors like marketing, non-profit and human services, government, or even law enforcement. A general studies degree will not only allow you to attend a wide variety of classes, but will also help you improve soft skills like communication and public speaking, as well as critical thinking.

Graduate Faster

In some cases, time is the major issue that blocks people from getting a college degree. But with a general studies degree, you can graduate much faster than with other programs. Since you can pick electives from any field you want, you don’t have to sit for a whole semester for a particular course to be offered. You can simply take another pick if you don’t want to wait.

General studies is also a great option for people with lots of transfer credits. You’ll be able to create a program crafted around these credits so you’ll be able to maximize the work you’ve done already.

Conclusion

As you can see, getting a general studies degree can be a great option depending on your situation. It is a great versatile program that will give you access to different career paths and allow you to take advantage of your strengths and interests.

Image source: pexels

Tips And Tricks For Making The Most Of A Professional Photography Session

Posted on February 20, 2019 by admin

How to make sure your family photoshoot is a success…

Taking the time to attend a photoshoot with all the family is something that is hugely important for capturing important milestones and special memories in a professional way.

However, it is generally not a cheap activity. Therefore, when taking your family along for some professional photography, you will naturally want it to go as smoothly as possible.

Although to some extent the success of your professional photography session is out of your hands, there are certain tips and tricks that can help to avoid there being any confusion and/or tantrums on the day!

Be well rested

Going for some professional photography is generally a positive thing to do and is something that the whole family will no doubt enjoy doing. Despite this, photoshoot sessions can last for a while and be demanding emotionally, especially for little ones.

It’s, therefore, a good idea to make sure all the family has an early night and is well rested before the session. The more that can be done to minimise the risk of there being any squabbles and tears, the better!

Generally though, the professional photography experience is such a new and exciting one, that your children probably won’t even think about how tired they are.

As well as having plenty of sleep the night before your professional photography, make sure that everyone is fed before heading to the studio. Family photoshoots tend to be fast-paced and dynamic, so you don’t want any hungry kiddies complaining halfway through!

Clothing

Hopefully, your photographer will get in touch beforehand with some general advice about what to expect and what to wear. If not though, your best bet is to dress yourself and your family in neutral colours. There is no need for everyone to match as that can make the images appear unnatural and staged, but it’s a good idea to ensure that no one is wearing particularly bright or clashing colours.

The type of clothing you wear will depend on the photographers’ style and vibe. Nousha are a London-based family and child photography company who capture all their photos in black and white. Their unique approach to professional family photoshoots and the way that they simply encourage families to be themselves and show their character means that every image is truly special and treasurable.

Parents keep your noses out

Whilst it might be tempting as a parent to stand behind the camera and egg your children on to smile and look happy… it most likely won’t help.

Professional photographers will have plenty of experience in making children smile and/or laugh to capture natural happy moments, rather than forced cheesy grins.

Children are much more likely to listen to what a stranger (the photographer) has to say than their parents, who tell them what to do on a daily basis.

Don’t hold back

This one may go without saying, but be prepared to let any inhibitions go and be yourself during a professional photography session. If you don’t, it will show in the images and you won’t be getting what you’ve paid for!

Photographers will expect you to be ready to let loose, have fun and take their suggestions on board to enable some wonderful and unique images to be captured.

On the other hand, don’t be afraid to tell your photographer what your family is comfortable with and/or what activities your children enjoy doing. This way, the professionals can tailor your photoshoot accordingly to make sure that it is a positive and enjoyable experience for all.

The Ultimate Alaska Bucket List: 5 Destinations You Must Visit

Posted on February 17, 2019 by admin

There are numerous ways to get to Alaska. One of the most obvious is flying, but you can also hop on a cruise ship that’s departing from a port like Seattle or Vancouver. In 2016, 55 percent of visitors to Alaska arrived via cruise ship. More than 1.8 million out-of-staters showed up to visit Alaska in 2016, and they had plenty of sites to pick from in the country’s largest (geographically, that is) state. Here’s 5 destinations you need to visit if you’re heading to The Last Frontier.

Denali National Park

The peak that gives this park its name was previously known as Mount McKinley. In 2015, the federal government changed the name to Denali to recognize the Koyukon people who have lived in the area for centuries. The name change wasn’t without controversy, but Denali remains the highest peak in North America regardless of its official name. The mountain peak is the (literal) biggest attraction of the park, but there’s lots of wildlife to be found here as well, including caribou and grizzly bears.

Denali National Park isn’t small, though. In fact, it’s six million acres, which means you’ll need mobile chargers capable of getting your batteries up to snuff in the national park. Such chargers can be found at one of the many AT&T stores in Alaska. You’ll want to avoid a drained battery while hiking around Wonder Lake and its awe-inspiring views of Denali. Besides needing to reach each other or place an emergency call, visitors will also need plenty of battery to take stunning photos.

Mendenhall Glacier

There aren’t too many states where you can go visit a glacier, but Alaska is one of them. Mendenhall Glacier is a few miles from Alaska’s state capital of Juneau. This glacier is more than 13 miles long. Like a lot of glaciers, it’s retreating and losing mass, although this particular glacier has been in retreat since the 1700s.

The glacier is part of the Tongass National Forest. While the ice is beautiful to look at, you’ll also be able to see animals including porcupines, black bears, beavers, and maybe even some bald eagles. Take a little time to stop and experience the full splendor of the waterfalls as well.

Alaska Native Heritage Center

Alaska’s largest city is Anchorage, and that’s where you’ll find the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Numerous indigenous cultures have played a part in making Alaska what it is today. The center opened in 1999 with the mission of educating tourists about those native groups. It’s educational, but it’s also a lot of fun to walk through exhibits like The Hall of Cultures.

Not surprisingly, summer is a better time to visit than winter. The center is open daily from the middle of May to the middle of September. In winter, it only opens on select Saturdays.

Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge

This wildlife refuge is located in an archipelago in the southwestern part of Alaska. It encompasses most of Kodiak Island, plus Uganik Island, Ban Island, and a portion of Afognak Island. There’s nearly 2 million square acres to explore here, so it’s not the type of place you can visit for just an hour or two.

If the word “Kodiak” sounds familiar, that’s probably because of the Kodiak brown bear. You’ll find plenty of those on the refuge, along with sea otters and sea lions. The refuge was founded in 1941 to protect Kodiak bears. There are currently around 3,000 bears living there.

Northern Lights

The Northern Lights are legendary. To see them, you’ll need to travel to the Northern Alaska. While Fairbanks is part of Northern Alaska, you’ll need to go farther north than that, as city dwellers only occasionally get to view the Northern Lights.

https://pixabay.com/en/aurora-polar-lights-northen-lights-1185464/

Visitors will also need to carefully pick a date for their Northern Lights adventure. September and March are particularly good times to visit. There’s no guarantee that you’ll see them, but if the sky is clear, you might get lucky and experience the night sky in a way that few others have.

Smart Ways to Spend Your Bonus This Year

Posted on February 6, 2019 by admin

bonus

Many workers in the US and beyond enjoy a monthly, quarterly or yearly bonus on top of their contracted earnings. This figures as a nice little pot of cash that individuals can spend as they wish, without worrying about destabilizing their lifestyle budget. The question, of course, is how exactly to spend this sum of money. While the temptation may be to buy that commodity that you’ve been salivating over for months, there are always wiser ways to use a lump-sum of cash to improve your life – and this article looks at the most savvy three.

Invest

When you read the word invest, it would be wrong to immediately think of the stock markets. While that’s one way in which you can store a lump sum of money to see it bear fruit further down the line, there are other ways in which you can invest your cash to see returns down the line. Consider the following list, all of which figure as smart investments for lump sums:

Home improvements to increase the value of your property
A second-hand car that’s likely to appreciate in value with some dust-ups
The future of your children – by making a nest egg or college fund
Work equipment or tools to enhance your productivity and profitability
A new qualification or skill that’ll make you more employable in the future

All of the above figure as savvy investments while also improving your present living conditions – so why not use your cash in this fashion?

Protect

Another smart use of your lump sum of cash is to use it to protect against future economic hardship. Even if you feel you’re in the most stable of jobs, it only takes an anomalous event to knock you into redundancy and unemployment.

There are numerous ways in which individuals can take action to prevent economic hardship in the future. You could spend your money on one-off single premium life insurance to protect your family against your untimely death, or make a trust fund or other savings cache to leave your cash in for when hard times strike. Whatever you choose to do, protecting yourself from a potentially difficult future will be dividends should you require additional cash in the future.

One-Offs

While the above two tips are sensible and smart, this last tip is the exciting one. Money isn’t always there to be hoarded and invested – sometimes, if there’s something worthwhile that you really need the cash to do, it’s worth splashing out and going for it.

The list of such activities is surely endless. You may want to see gorillas in the wild, skydive over a nearby field, purchase a graphics tablet to help you create digital art, or pay to see a highly-regarded Broadway show with your family and friends. As long as it’s worthwhile and special, spending money on making unique memories is as smart as investing it, or using it to protect against future hardship.

Next time you receive a cash bonus from work, bear the three above tips in mind to make that money go as far as possible for you and your family.

Image credits to: Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images

Starting a CBD Business in 2019: 3 Tips to Get Started

Posted on January 25, 2019 by admin

The legal situation regarding cannabis and all products derived from the plant have changed greatly in the North American continent over the course of 2018, creating the perfect conditions for new businesses in the sector to make headway into the industry. Given the non-psychoactive nature of cannabidiol (CBD) and its multiple health benefits, CBD derived supplements were already legal in a lot of states, but post 2018, the scope of the CBD trade has expanded even further, alongside the rest of the cannabis industry. On that note, here are three tips that should help you get started on a successful CBD products business and take advantage of the booming sector.

CBD Business in 2019

Find a Legal, Domestic Source

Before anything else, you will need a supplier and it should always be a legal, domestic source. Cope CBD in Colorado has pure CBD oil for sale in bulk that meets all the set standards of the legal CBD industry. They deliver reliable products at reasonable rates to associated businesses across the country, enabling cannabidiol product manufacturers to make and sell the best CBD supplements, medications, etc. to their respective customers. There are multiple advantages to sourcing your hemp from a legal, domestic source and some of them can be summed up as follows:

Being on American soil, the crops are grown in controlled and regulated environments to ensure quality, legality and potency
You do not have to pay extra duty for importing from outside the US
US-grown and manufactured CBD products from licensed wholesalers are always lab-tested and certified before being sold

Get to Know Your State and Federal Laws

In spite of CBD being less strictly regulated by both federal and state laws due to its nonaddictive composition, it is of the utmost importance to get to know the laws that govern the cannabidiol trade in your state of operation, as well as the implications of the federal laws on your business. The good news is that as long as the THC level in any CBD product is below 0.3%, it is legal to sell anywhere, according to federal laws. You can get to know more about the laws governing the industrial hemp trade and CBD businesses by checking out the federal government’s official page.

Play to Your Strength

Starting from supplements to beauty products, CBD oil and hemp in general has vast usage across many industries, which can get confusing while trying to decide which products to make or retail. The advice would be to play to your strength, which means that if you are manufacturing your products, then just stick with what you know for the time being, before expanding to other sections of the business. This is not to say that you should be selling only CBD health supplements forever, but if that’s what you are well acquainted with and have the necessary setup for, it is best to concentrate on that in the beginning, before branching out to other wings of the business.

Gone are the days when people had to hide the fact that they were a CBD manufacturer or seller to get loan approvals from banks and other investors. In fact, given that the cannabis industry is expected to receive over $16 billion dollars in investment this year, it is likely that investors would be more interested in putting their money into your business, if they knew that you have plans to get into the booming CBD trade.