Don't order the international edition of your course textbook. Ten percent of our students enrolled in Global Business have learned that if it sounds too good to be true, it is. While the international versions might be cheaper, they'll not be compatible with your courses.

If you do an online search for your textbook using the ISBN, you can be directed to a site selling the international version. To be sure you get the text you need, read all information carefully and match the ISBN to the version being sold.

What is an ISBN?

Every book has a unique International Standard Book Number (ISBN). Just like different editions of the same textbook have different ISBNs, the international edition of a textbook will also have a unique ISBN. Always check the ISBN listed for your course textbook to ensure you purchase the text for which your course was written.

By Elizabeth Swift, MSPM, BSAD Advisor

Your academic advisor is here to serve you in a variety of ways. Though we will contact you several times as you progress through your program, we invite you to contact us anytime we can be of assistance. We are here to

• Advocate: First and foremost, academic advisors are advocates for all distance learning students. Our goal is to create an environment that allows you to communicate effectively with all parties involved.
• Trouble-shoot: Your academic advisor is your point-person during your entire journey at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. When you have questions or concerns related to school, your advisor is a great starting point. Although we cannot answer every question, we can refer you to the appropriate resource or facilitate communication until your question is answered.
• Explain: Your advisor can explain most policies and procedures related to distance education.
• Connect: We act as a liaison between students, faculty, and academic staff. We are a great resource if you need a conversation facilitated or initiated, but don’t know where to begin.
• Guide: Your advisor can be a great resource for you. Consider us your guide during your “tour of the UW-Platteville distance learning system.” We make sure that your questions are answered and your academic goals are realistic, while connecting you to important resources. We can evaluate your academic path to ensure that your best interest is at the forefront of every decision.

We want to hear from you. And, we want to make our services as useful as possible, so please complete the advisor survey at the end of every semester. That way, your advisor can know what’s working and what’s not. We’re here for you!

Part of "The Great '-ate's" blog series

By Stephanie Cooley

There are many places on your journey to an online degree where you will need to evaluate something or someone—including yourself. You definitely need to use this skill when selecting your major and the school from which you wish to obtain your degree. But that is just the beginning.

During each course, you will need to regularly evaluate your progress. Make sure you stay in touch with your instructor on a regular basis. If you don’t understand an assignment, ask questions. Periodically reread the course objectives to make sure you are learning what the instructor feels are important outcomes for the course. Look for real-world applications for the material you are learning. This will help you remember it and motivate you to continue working on your degree.

There is another very important evaluation that you can do, if asked. At the end of every semester, we ask our students to complete a survey for the course that they just completed. The results of these surveys are not tabulated until after the grades are submitted, and are completely anonymous. Our students are asked to evaluate both the course itself and their instructor. We use this information to make decisions when trying to improve the quality of the course and when hiring—or not hiring—instructors. I know that sometimes surveys can be tedious. But you are the best judge of whether a course is successful or not and you should use the opportunity to communicate this information.

If I was more creative, I would be able to think of a way to stretch this series into eight articles, in keeping with the theme. And although there are many more words which might apply, I have run out of material. So I will leave you with one last thought…

If you investigate, coordinate, dedicate, communicate, motivate, and evaluate, one day you will definitely GRADUATE and then you can CELEBRATE!!

Look at that—we did make it to eight.

About this series

Being an online student can be trying at times. We want to give you the knowledge and knowhow to navigate the waters of distance education. This continuing series, which builds upon words that end in “-ate,” is meant to offer tips and techniques for those interested in distance education, as well as for those who are current distance students.

See other blogs that are part of this series:

Investigate
Coordinate
Dedicate
Communicate
Motivate

Part of  "The Great '-ate's" blog series

By Stephanie Cooley

It’s funny that “motivate” would be the topic of this blog because I was not looking forward to writing it! It has been some time since my last post; we have been going through some very interesting and challenging transitions at work so my experiment with writing a blog was pushed to the bottom of my “To Do” list. As a distance learner, it can be very easy to push course work to the bottom of your own list, especially if you have kids, a home, and a job all demanding a spot at the top of that list.

So how do you keep yourself motivated to complete your courses and, eventually, your degree? It’s time to do a little self analysis and find out what has motivated you in the past.

• Do you get excited when you are able apply something you have learned? Then concentrate on the practical applications of the information that you learn in your courses. Look for ways to use the information at work.
• Are you a list maker? Make sure study time is on your list each day. Do you need the encouragement of others? Make sure your family, friends, and co-workers know about your choice to get a degree. Their support can help you keep going when challenges come along.
• Does meeting new people get you excited? Although you may not share an actual classroom, distance learning is an excellent way to network with a group of people that can have both very different experiences and surprisingly similar ones. Make an effort to get to know your fellow classmates and instructors by participating in class discussions and chats.

I read a nice tip in a blog on motivation at http://www.pickthebrain.com/. When you start to lose motivation, create a plan with two positive actions. The first should be a small job that you have been meaning to do; the second should relate to a long-term goal. Immediately do the first task. Getting this done will create a positive momentum. Then take the first step toward the long-term goal. Doing this periodically will get you out of slumps and keep your long-term plans moving ahead.

As for me, I love chocolate, so I’m going to give myself a little treat when I am done writing this. You might want to save this method for only exceptionally difficult assignments. :)

UP NEXT… Evaluate

About this series

Being an online student can be trying at times. We want to give you the knowledge and knowhow to navigate the waters of distance education. This continuing series, which builds upon words that end in “-ate,” is meant to offer tips and techniques for those interested in distance education, as well as for those who are current distance students.

See other blogs that are part of this series:

Investigate
Coordinate
Dedicate
Communicate

Part of  "The Great '-ate's" blog series

By Stephanie Cooley

The ability to communicate effectively is a skill that improves your chance of success in anything you do and at any point in your life. It is especially important if you are an online learner because, for the most part, you won’t have access to one of the main components of effective communication: visual cues.

At the most basic level, there are some practices that will help you communicate effectively with your instructor and classmates:

• Write your name and contact information on each assignment. Also, it doesn't hurt to include your course number and the instructor’s name.
• Keep a copy of each assignment you turn in.
• If you experience computer/internet technical difficulties, either immediately repair the system, or contact your instructor by phone to explain your "absence" from class. Ask him/her for advice on how best to proceed.
• Identify yourself in all class communications to ensure that you are receiving appropriate class credit.
• Use appropriate subject lines in your e-mails. Check with your instructor if there is a certain format they would like your messages to follow.
• Read all messages sent to the class group or via e-mail. Be on the lookout for messages from your instructor or others answering questions you might have.
• When commenting on your class posting boards, make meaningful, relevant comments only.

Learning online can seem isolating, especially compared to the traditional classroom environment. But it doesn’t have to be. If you are studying a language like Spanish or Japanese and know someone who speaks the language fluently, ask if they, or someone they know, might like to do a language exchange with you. Get a mentor. If there is someone in your workplace that already has the degree you are seeking, ask if you can take them for coffee once a month to get career advice or discuss topics related to your field. They can also discuss real world applications of the theories you are learning about. Look into joining a club or professional organization in your area that is related to your career choice. These connections could be a valuable resource once you have earned your degree. Effectively communicating with your instructor, your classmates, your coworkers, and your community can have an enormous impact on your education!

UP NEXT… Motivate

About this series

Being an online student can be trying at times. We want to give you the knowledge and knowhow to navigate the waters of distance education. This continuing series, which builds upon words that end in “-ate,” is meant to offer tips and techniques for those interested in distance education, as well as for those who are current distance students.

See other blogs that are part of this series:
Investigate
Coordinate
Dedicate

Part of  "The Great '-ate's" blog series

By Stephanie Cooley

You’ve made the decision to return to school. Now you have to dedicate yourself to the goal of completing your degree. If you’ve been away from school for any amount of time, it might be hard to make adjustments to your schedule that involve reducing the amount of time you spend with your family or on your hobbies. You may need to decrease the time you devote to social activities or community service groups. Studying online does give you flexibility, but if you don’t dedicate enough time to your studies, you will have a hard time completing your courses and an even harder time completing your degree.

Before the semester starts, try to keep a record of your activities for a week or two. See if there are any activities that you can cut out or if you can reduce the amount of time you spend on them. See if there are certain times that you can set aside every day for studying. It is recommended that you spend at least 2 hours of study for each credit that you take. This can end up being a large part of your schedule. If possible, have a dedicated study place that keeps all of the supplies you need within easy reach.

Finally, pace yourself. Different people can tolerate different workloads. There is a reason that, at UWP, we give graduate students up to 7 years to complete their degree. And undergraduate students don’t have a time limit as long as they continue to make academic progress. You are doing this to learn. Make sure you devote your mind and your time to achieving your goal, especially since you have already dedicated the financial resources!

UP NEXT... Communicate

About this series

Being an online student can be trying at times. We want to give you the knowledge and knowhow to navigate the waters of distance education. This continuing series, which builds upon words that end in “-ate,” is meant to offer tips and techniques for those interested in distance education, as well as for those who are current distance students.

See other blogs that are part of this series:
Investigate
Coordinate

Part of  "The Great '-ate's" blog series

By Stephanie Cooley

There are several definitions of the word coordinate. The good news is that I am not asking you to change the way you dress or perform a series of physically challenging tasks. Of course, some of you might prefer either of those to a final exam or big project!

The definition that I am using is “to organize something complex.” If you have ever taken an online course, you know that it can be very complex—both in terms of using the learning management system [D2L, Blackboard, Moodle] and in organizing the material presented in the course. Thinking about the course as a whole can be overwhelming.

It helps to break the course into manageable sections. At UWP, we give students a week before class officially starts to preview the course. This is a good time to look through the information and get a preliminary plan of attack in place. Map out your semester and look for weeks that might be a problem, especially if you are taking more than one course. Remember to incorporate family events and your work schedule into the mix. By breaking things up you can take one week at a time and, before you know it, you will be another step closer to getting that degree!

Another way to keep coordinated is to match your classes to your work, when possible. There is usually some flexibility regarding both the courses you need to take and the order in which you take them. Try to take courses that coordinate well with your current position. If you can immediately apply what you learn, it will be easier to retain the information.

UP NEXT… Dedicate

About this series

Being an online student can be trying at times. We want to give you the knowledge and knowhow to navigate the waters of distance education. This continuing series, which builds upon words that end in “-ate,” is meant to offer tips and techniques for those interested in distance education, as well as for those who are current distance students.

See our other blogs that are part of this series:
Investigate
Dedicate

By Stephanie Cooley

Hi! Welcome to my first attempt to write a blog. I have worked in the Distance Learning Center for 10 years but I usually take care of things behind the scenes—purchasing, invoicing, databases, and web corrections—real fascinating stuff! I love reading and thought I might like to try my hand at writing. The administrators here in the DLC are always encouraging us to broaden our skill set, so I will be writing a series of articles with tips for distance learners.

I was looking for a way to aggregate the information. I want to advocate good ideas that will help you acclimate to the distance learning environment. Maybe I can even alleviate some of the fears you have about learning online. I anticipate that this will be a lot of fun!

OK—I know that wasn’t very subtle but I kept running across words that ended in “–ate” so I decided to build a series of tips using those words as my theme. Get ready for… The Great ‘-ate’s.

Investigate

This is useful both before and after you enroll in a program. There is so much you need to investigate! We are going to assume that you already know the degree that you are interested in. You need to spend time investigating the schools that offer your program at a distance. Make sure you are applying to an accredited school. UW-Platteville is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Look at the courses offered in your program of interest. Many schools give course descriptions on their web sites. Some, like the UWP Distance Learning Center, even list more detailed information about their courses, like the number of exams, assignments, and projects that are associated with a course. Make sure the courses associated with your program sound like something you would be interested in learning.

If you are already in a program, you still need to do some investigating. Get input from your fellow students about courses they liked and disliked. Or ask about problem spots in required courses that might mean more study time should be added to your schedule. Learning at a distance does not mean you are learning alone. Remember to investigate!

UP NEXT… Coordinate

See other blogs that are part of this series:
Coordinate
Dedicate
Communicate

By Ian Clark

Not many of us want to hear what we’re doing wrong. Personally, my favorite type of comments to hear are “nice job,” “good work” and “keep it up.” But do these comments make me any better at my job, and do they give me any indication of how I can improve?

How we handle criticism is a matter of perspective. For the majority of us, it’s easy to get a little frustrated at the first sign of criticism, but again, what does that frustration do for us? In my search for articles that might inspire students, I came across “The Gift of Criticism” by Judy Umlas, part of the Voices on Project Management blog offered by the Project Management Institute.

This school of thought applies to all of us, not just project managers, but Judy happens to find her best example in one of UWP’s project management faculty members, Ginger Levin.

It’s a quick read with a lasting message. Take a look; it might just make a difference in your day.

By Kelly Curtiss

When tackling any major task, those who do it successfully will tell you that you need to prepare, plan and organize yourself. These three items I believe can be applied to any life event, such as planning for

• an open house for a high school graduation
• your big wedding day
• the welcoming of a new child into a family
• a family vacation
• earning a degree

All of these events require you to think ahead. What is my main focus and goal? What kind of obstacles might I have to be ready for? How will I handle these issues should they arise? How am I going to make this happen? Who is here to help me?

Even in the pursuit of higher education, these ideas and question should be evaluated each semester. Many of you know that it is not easy to go back. But you have a goal. You may have obstacles, but in the end you have kept yourself organized, knowing what the goal is and what you are going to do to keep yourself moving forward.

If you haven’t done so already, make it a priority to sit down and talk with your advisor about where you want to go, how you plan to get there, and ask for their support. We enjoy working with our students and seeing them earn their academic goals!

By Christine Storlie

I'm too tired to study when I get home from work. I want to spend time with my family this weekend and have some fun. It seems like I’m going to be working on this degree forever.

These are comments that I hear on a regular basis from students I teach and advise. While earning my Ph.D. at a distance, I learned several useful techniques that helped me keep things in perspective and stay on top of everything that I had going on. Here are four factors that will influence your success:

Control
Control means taking on a reasonable workload, so that you can successfully balance your course load, family and career. Don’t give in to the temptation to procrastinate on an assignment and then do it at the last minute with the least amount of effort possible. Stay up after you put the kids to bed and finish that paper because tomorrow has its very own to-do list. Set up a study schedule and stick to it, so that you are making progress in your courses on a regular basis. Use self-discipline to complete your assignments and group activities in a timely manner, in order to successfully complete the course. Lastly, take responsibility for your decisions and follow through with your commitments. Students that are able to take control of their lives are much more likely to succeed in their educational endeavor.

Motivation
Another major factor influencing your progress is motivation. If you ever feel your motivation declining, take a step back and recall the main reason you entered the program. Thinking about the benefits the degree will give you in your career can give you the motivation you need. Students with a degree earned at a distance are prized by employers who will recognize your competence and the strength of your character developed by the challenges of earning such a degree.

Support
To successfully complete a degree at a distance, you’ll need the support of at least one person. You need someone to believe in what you are doing. While moral support is important, there are other kinds of support that are also invaluable, including child care, financial support and help with chores. The broader the network of support among friends, family and even coworkers and employers, the easier it is for motivated students to finish their coursework.

Self-assessment
If you can reasonably assess your own strengths and weaknesses, you will fare well in a distance education environment. Self-assessment leads to appropriate action. Time and effort are precious commodities to adults with multiple responsibilities and can be best used by students who understand themselves and can manage their time well.

By Christine (Schuldes) Storlie

1. Print the Course Calendar for each of your courses. Record all the due dates for assignments and exams on your calendar (electronic organizer, cell phone, or paper calendar – or the pocket calendar you may have received from the Distance Learning Center). Set a reminder on your electronic devices to alert you to upcoming due dates.
    
2. At the beginning of the semester, set a specified amount of time each day to work on class assignments. For example, one student found that by designating one hour each day of the week for studying, she was able to keep up with her coursework much better than when she tried to do everything over the weekend. Or, you could set aside two hours every other day, with larger blocks of study time on Saturday and Sunday.
    
3. Work on your written communication skills. Clearly communicating your ideas is imperative in an online course, especially in courses that require group activities. Effective communication is vital to a virtual team’s success. Allow time to review what you say, checking your content as well as grammar and spelling. Set aside enough time to communicate with your instructor, classmates, and group/team members.
    
4. Check the News on the course home page regularly for each of your courses. Instructors often post important announcements such as
   
   • additional information pertaining to course material
   • details regarding expectations for an assignment
   • upcoming deadlines
   • hints or additional information regarding assignments
   Reading messages from others is an important part of the communication process!
   
5. Do not hesitate to ask questions. If the question occurred to you, it is likely that others have the same question and all will benefit.

by Les Hollingsworth, Corporate Marketing Director

Engaging in a discussion in an online classroom can create some anxiety, especially for students new to online learning. With many posts to do and never enough time, how do you ensure that your responses are worthy of full points? As an online learner myself, I remember spending tons of time trying to find the right balance of personal perspective and theory from the readings. Too much personal perspective and it looks like you didn't do the readings. Too much theory from the text and your response won't generate discussion. Here are a couple of quick tips to find that balance.

Follow a Consistent Format

Start by stating your point. This tells people where you’re going and piques interest. It also helps classmates to quickly determine if they want to respond to your post or not. If they can quickly identify what you’re proposing, the chances are higher that they will continue the thread.

After you’ve stated your point, relate a personal anecdote to clarify and demonstrate its connection to the real world. Wrap it up by incorporating a quote or idea from the text.

Tools and Tactics

One of my best friends during my online studies was MS OneNote. I used it to take notes from my readings for several reasons:

1) I can type much faster than I write.

2) If your course uses an e-book, you can simply copy the note of interest into OneNote. From there you can search your notes quickly and copy the quote/note into your discussion response easily (with citation of course).

3) You get formatting benefits. Re-organizing, highlighting, mark-up, and deleting are easier if you're not scrawling notes on paper.

By Amy Nemmetz, BSCJ Coordinator

Have you heard of the Royal Potty?! This awesome invention is a toddler’s potty chair that plays a tune when a liquid or solid (I don’t need to be more specific, right?) touches the sensors on the base of the bowl. You remember the horn sound that often accompanies the arrival of the king in cartoons, right? The sound immediately brings a smile to the toddler and parent’s face! By now you must be wondering if motherhood has clogged my senses. You may also be pondering ‘where’ I may be headed with this blog! Here’s my point:

Making the decision to return to school often brings mixed emotions. Although, many people are a little anxious about what lies ahead, the majority of learners are excited to work toward their goal of earning their diploma! However, after the first semester of classes, the excitement may shift to questions like “what was I thinking?” and “how will I possibly keep up with my school work and other commitments?”

After completing my master’s degree at a distance and currently nearing the end of my online PhD coursework, I can honestly tell you that YOU CAN DO IT! The key to reaching your goals isn’t sending your children to boarding school and booking your partner to Antarctica! Rather, the way to keep your goals in clear view is to celebrate successes along the way by rewarding yourself when you tackle obstacles. Unfortunately, we seem to be embarrassed to talk about and celebrate successes.

Although, the Royal Potty may not be in store for you at this stage of the game, find something or someone to celebrate your successes and remember to reward yourself for your accomplishments. After all, each semester is one term closer to earning your diploma. So, how will you celebrate and reward yourself for a job well done? Will you read a book for fun between semesters or schedule a massage or simply take a nap on the weekend without feeling guilty? As Peter Drucker once said, “Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.”

By Bob Streff

UW-Platteville subscribes to RefWorks for all students. I have listened to debates on both sides regarding its usefulness. Some say that students don’t learn the proper manuscript style when RefWorks creates it for them. And sometimes, there are problems importing into word processors. On the upside, it can save students time by automatically filling in the information required by the different styles.

• There are some useful features of RefWorks that I never hear in the debate:
• You can open RefWorks and cut and paste portions of text into RefWorks; and you can place notes about the quote in another section. 

Refworks will also add the citations within the paper.

These can be very helpful tools during the research and writing phases. But during the final draft phase, there is no substitution for using the most current style manual.

By Christine Hawkinson

In the short time I’ve been with the Distance Learning Center, I have had the opportunity to talk with several graduates of our programs. Three observations stand out:

• They all agree that earning a degree online is worth every bit of the sacrifice.
• They all rave about the quality of instruction and the benefits of interacting with students across the country who work in various professions.
• There is no typical day in the life of an online student.

Most of our students are employed, many have families, and all juggle their lives to accommodate study time. I am still thinking about comments from two students you can read more about in the Spring 2009 PLEXUS.

Kelli Johnson earned her Master of Science in Engineering in 15 months, while substitute teaching and waitressing. Her success depended on lots of planning and study sessions at four in the morning. An extra challenge to Kelli’s schedule: she had to plan for time needed to download information and upload assignments with dial-up internet service!

Don Zurek worked full time while earning his Master of Science in Engineering. He has two children and a wife who also works full time. He credits the support of his wife and her willingness take on some of his responsibilities at home. Don was also creative when it came to squeezing 10-15 hours of study time into his already busy week. Rather than lunching with colleagues, he brown bagged it and read a chapter for class. And his wife took the wheel on trips to the mall so he could read on the way.

Every student offers a source of inspiration and encouragement for others. Send me your top hint for finding study time and I’ll share them in a future blog. E-mail me at hawkinsonc@uwplatt.edu.

By Samantha Brehm

The weather is getting warmer. The yard work is piling up, your taxes still aren’t done, home improvements are inevitable, and the family vacation plans need to be made. But you have to think about classes and your upcoming finals. A little stressed? Well there is a simple solution to calm your stress and help you study.

GET SOME SUN! According to an article on the, “Heath Expressions,” website, individuals who receive ample exposure to sun are in a better mood and are more productive. The article explains that simply exposing yourself to more sunlight can dramatically improve your mood and make you feel more energized.

But how are you supposed to get more exposure to the sun when you work all day and you have 3 papers to write and a test everyday for the next two weeks? Well the answer is simple. Just slightly change your daily routine to include more sunlight.

• Drive with your window down
• Open the shades in your house
• Park farther away from the office/school
• Walk to work/school
• Eat or take your break outside
• Walk your dog two extra blocks every day
• Exercise outside

Take the small effort to change your routine and you will experience the big effects. By getting a little extra sun every day, you won’t feel as mad/sick/upset about being inside writing a paper and you will be ready to tackle whatever school or life throws your way.

Be sure to visit the Health Expressions website for more tips to improve your stress and overall health.

by Samantha Brehm

Have you consulted Grammar Girl? The website http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/default.aspx has a plethora of tips for students and writers facing grammar, punctuation, and formatting issues. This secret passageway to knowledge and resources was passed along to me by a fellow writer and now I want to pass the secret on to you.

The website provides short, descriptive podcasts for a wide variety of topics concerning confusing grammar issues or writing rules. The podcasts are easy to find, access, and use. Each podcast topic is clearly labeled and will appear promptly after selecting the appropriate link. I usually like to print the topics I am struggling with so they are easy to reference when I am working on an article or story.

Mignon Fogarty is the founder of “Quick and Dirty Tips” and creator of Grammar Girl. She is a magazine and technical writer at trade and believes grammar is a subject that requires lifelong study. She hopes to educate individuals about successful writing skills in a fun and friendly way.

See what Grammar Girl has to offer! It might even make paper writing fun, or at least a little more bearable.

Attending college courses from the comfort of your own home is an amazing and practical way to complete coursework and earn your degree on your own time. However, many distance learning students can get too comfortable with their surroundings, and this comfort can adversely affect homework, projects, and, ultimately, grades. What follows is a list of tips to help you stay focused when working on your degree from home.

Plan out your day. Managing your time and having a plan for each day is a great way to stay on top of your coursework and not get behind. Make a schedule and block out your time, dedicating specific periods of time for reading and note-taking, completing homework, and working on long-term projects. Sticking to the schedule will help create boundaries for yourself and increase your productivity.

Minimize your distractions. This is especially important if you are working from home. Don’t be tempted to turn the television on if you know it will keep you from working. If you like to listen to music, make sure that it is nothing more than background noise. Anything that diverts your attention from the task at hand will cut into valuable time needed to complete your coursework.

Have a dedicated work space. If you don’t have a home office or place to study, find a place to spread out and get to work. Keep a clear, clutter-free area with enough room to have books and notebooks open so that you don’t have to constantly hunt down any necessary information. Try to make sure that the space you decide to use is conducive to being productive with your studies; refrain from using the couch if at all possible.

Set goals and take breaks. If you are properly managing your time, you will more than likely begin to finish things in a timely fashion. However, some subjects and courses are more difficult than others. When you are facing a particularly challenging assignment, break it up into manageable chunks and set goals for yourself on how you would like to go about completing the assignment. One you have reached a particular milestone, reward yourself with a break. Sit back and enjoy a cup of coffee or a brief television program. Once you’ve gotten some rest, get back to work. You will feel a sense of accomplishment and relaxation by doing this.

Change your environment. Sometimes working from home is just not always feasible. Perhaps on a certain day, there are other people around the house, increasing your chances of getting off-task and distracted. When this happens, it’s advisable to have a go-to place to work on your assignments. Maybe you have a favorite coffeehouse you’d like to visit where you can work on your assignments or readings. Public libraries and university libraries are great places to go as well and offer optimal environments for studying.

This article is contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who regularly writes on how to become a teacher in California. She invites your questions at her personal email address: kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com.

By now, it’s very likely that you’ve heard of or used Google’s standard search engine. It’s also a good bet that you’ve used it to find sources for a research paper. Here’s a few tips to generate even better search results so you aren’t poring through countless sources that may or may not be appropriate for a college-level research assignment. If you go to www.Google.com and click on “more” at the very top of the page, you’ll see a list of valuable extensions of Google.

Google Scholar: For those that need peer-reviewed, scholarly sources. This should be quicker than maneuvering through countless library databases.

Google Books: Search inside countless books for useful material. Generally, the search will take you directly to the page you’re looking for. It looks like Google is also working on a partner program so you can physically borrow the book from some provider. Beats having to buy one…

Google Video: If a picture is worth a thousand words, what’s a video by a subject matter expert worth? From my experience, I think Google’s video lists are easier to quickly scan than YouTube’s.

Post a comment to let me know what you think. How did the sources work for your research? There's also quite a few other cool features that may not specifically help you with a research paper but may make your life easier (i.e. Google Docs).