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 Jodi L. Zeal

I have to be honest and tell you that I was skeptical about having success as an online student. I am the kind of person who loves to interact with people and the thought of communicating with fellow students and teachers strictly via computer was scary to me. The other detail that was daunting to me was whether or not I was organized enough to do this on my own....you know, outside of a classroom. Sometimes, we need that extra motivation that happens when you actually come face to face with your professor and discuss the textbook material you were supposed to read last night!

Well, I am happy to report that if you have any reservations about whether or not you can interact with your classmates or stay motivated as an online student, you can put those concerns to rest.

I remember the first time I logged in as a student in my first online class, our professor had typed a message introducing himself and he told us what he hoped we could accomplish this semester and invited us to do the same. I loved learning about my classmates and seeing that we were from all over the country. We had many differences; some were in my class as part of their UWP master’s program and some were in the same undergrad program that I was. Our shared goal was the same—to get as much as possible out of the class and to make it a very enjoyable experience.

The beauty of this program is that you log in and get your work done when it is convenient for you. You learn the study patterns of your classmates....some are early bird students and some are night owls but you are all involved and can interact just the same. I had great experiences with each of my professors in that great discussions were present everyday and questions were answered promptly. If I had any technical issues when attempting to take an exam or just logging into the system itself, help was truly one phone call away.

In this ever-changing economy, it is important to have all the chips in your favor. Whether you are changing careers or getting your first degree, please don’t think that you aren’t the right kind of student for distance education. UW-Platteville’s Distance Education Program is designed just for you, no matter what your organizational skills or sleeping patterns may be!

In May, 2005, I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville through their Distance Learning Program. I can honestly say that my degree is a powerful tool. If my position were downsized tomorrow and I was looking for a job, I know that my degree from UW-Platteville makes me a marketable job candidate. We all need that edge when we are up against so many other job applicants. Do you have that edge? If not, please start looking into UWP’s Distance Education Programs to see how they can help.

by Les Hollingsworth, Corporate Marketing Director

If you've spent much time reading the news online, you've probably heard that an increasing number of universities plan to start up online programs to supplement revenue from their campus-based programs. A direct result is that many potential students are asking if online is really as good as campus-based instruction and many of the naysayers are once again spreading mis-information. So, to do my part in helping to debunk these myths I reference an article from Military.com. It lists the four biggest fallacies surrounding online education. Although the article is geared toward servicemembers, the information is relevant to all prospective online students. Here's the link:

Busting the Myths of Online Education