The free services that your campus can offer include using campus computers instead of buying a desktop or a laptop. Your campus library offers DVDs that you can borrow instead spending on DVD rental stores. You can research or ask for other free campus services that are being offered.

For recreation, you can use the gym for your work out or you can play sports like basketball, soccer, volleyball and so on. You can join clubs and other organizations without spending any money.

When you are going out, you can take advantage of your student status by carrying your school ID. Some retail shops, bowling alleys, movies, restaurants and other venues and places give discounts to students. You just have to show your school ID for those much needed discounts.

The proper way to start and plan your essay is to read and understand your topic. If you do not understand the topic, do not hesitate to ask your teacher for clarifications. You cannot write an effective essay if you are not sure about your topic.

You can write down a list or plan paragraph by paragraph. You can also use a diagram to create a good plan. This is very effective if you are a visual learner. These lists or diagrams have to be clear and concise so that you can follow it when you are writing down your essay.

Choose your quotations and resources first before writing down your essay. It is not a good idea to stop during your essay writing just to look for your material resources.

A good introduction is crucial in an essay so it is always recommended to plan the first paragraph of your essay. Having an effective introduction is not complete without a compelling conclusion. Try to use a template to guide you through the different parts of your essay which is the introduction, body and conclusion.

Always check if you need additional research and reading regarding your topic. Lack of details in your essay may not give you that high grade you are expecting. It is better to find out that you still need more resources and information during the planning stage rather than in the actual essay writing.

You have to read and fully understand your material because this is the best way to paraphrase an original writing. If you think you understand the article or the writing, go over it once again.

After fully understanding the original writing, you can try writing an explanation to what you have just read. Then try to compare what you just wrote with the original writing. The important thing about paraphrasing is that you are conveying the message that the original text was trying to show. You have to make sure that your wordings do not fully resemble the original writing.

If you are writing an academic writing, you still have to correctly attribute the original text. This means that you have to note the bibliographic detail and the page number of your source.

The first thing you should look at is the preface, table of contents and the introduction of your textbook. You should know what the textbook is all about. Skimming the table of contents is important so that you would know the content and the structure of each of the chapters of the textbook.

Each chapter of your textbook always have an overview and a summary. By reading the overview and the summary, you will get the main idea of what each chapter is all about. The most important keywords and points are given on the overview and summary.

When skimming the contents of each chapter, you should always be on the lookout for emphasized or highlighted words or phrases. This means that these words or phrases are important and should be noted. Usually the things that are highlighted include terms, people, definitions, charts and events.

Skimming may often mean doing short cuts but you still have to take a look at the points in your textbook that are hard to understand or comprehend. If you have a better understanding of the explanatory sentences in the textbook, you can have a good overview of the whole chapter or the main topics within the chapter.

English as being the most spoken official language in the world can give the students a good head start when they are looking for jobs or when they are entering colleges. Higher institutes for advanced education or colleges often use English. Students who have learned the English language can pass entrance examinations and other admission tests for higher learning.

Students who have learned to speak English fluently can interact socially and positively with other students. These students can participate in inter-state competitions and student exchange programs.

Remember that interviews and employment opportunities after graduation are often conducted in the English language. Even career counselors and career guides use the English language as the official mode of interaction.

These are just some of the major advantages and benefits that students have when learning the English language in school.

You can make your email letter more personal by starting with a greeting and a few words of courtesy. Keep the tone casual and formal when writing your email. You can use a space in between paragraphs and write salutations when ending the email such as “Sincerely” or “Best Regards.”

It is not a good idea to send files that are very large. Just send light attachments in your email so that the recipient would not have any inconveniences when opening your email and downloading the file. If you really have to send a file that is very large, you can ask the recipient in advance if he or she approves of this or if there is a better way of sending the file.

It is considered impolite to send and flood other people’s email with messages that are irrelevant to them. These emails may be in the form of chain letters, jokes or irrelevant announcements that may be considered as spam or junk email. Before sending these kinds of email, you have to think first if that person would really appreciate your forwarded emails.

When sending emails to a number of recipients, you have to keep their email addresses private by using the bcc function. By placing the email addresses on the bcc field, you are hiding the recipients email addresses. When you want to forward an email that was sent to you, the sender’s email address should be removed before clicking the send button.

Sometimes when we are writing emails, we use abbreviated words such as btw (by the way) or brb (be right back). We have to avoid using these words especially if we are writing a formal email. Remember that email is different from chatting and your recipient may not be able to understand those kinds of words. Emoticons and smileys should also be used sparingly.

Using basic etiquette on your email will make it look more professional and sincere. The next time you send an email to your professor, teacher or friends, you should observe proper e-mail etiquette.

You can always write a lot of things about a certain topic if you are very interested in it. Look for topics that you really like and something that is worth writing.

The next thing you have to look for is to check if there are enough information that is available on the particular topic that you chose. However, you also have to be careful because some topics may provide too much information which also makes it harder and longer to write.

In case your main topic does not work, you should always have a back up topic in mind.

Here are some websites that can provide topics for your school assignments or projects. You can check out the Spinney Press which specializes on social issues and “Issues on Society” books. For hot topics on science and technology, you can go to the ProQuest website. If you want to concentrate on science, you can go to NewScientist.com and find up to date topics.

It is a good idea to study before and after classes. It makes sense to open your notes and study for a bit to help you prepare for your upcoming class. Studying after class is also helpful for you because this can help you retain the information that you have just learned in class.

Try to find out what time of the day you are most alert. If you choose the time of day to study, you can get more work done and become more productive. Try to study the most difficult lessons first when you are still fresh and alert.

It can be effective to conduct your studying on the same time every day and this can reinforce your study habits more. This habit can also help to prevent procrastination.

Short study sessions can also be effective. You can study in between classes, when you are waiting for the bus or doing your laundry. You should always carry your notes or textbooks when you think you can study even for a short period of time.

STEPS in ANSWERING EXAMS

1. You can look through all the questions first before answering.
2. You can try to find out how much time you will spend on each questions in the exam.
3. It is always important that you understand each question of the exam.
4. You can start with the easiest questions because this can build up your confidence.
5. You should always try to answer all the questions. It is always the overall score that matters.
6. For multiple choice questions, if there is no penalty for incorrect answers, guessing the right answer can give you some points. Try to eliminate the choices that you think are wrong and choose between the remaining answers. The chances of getting the right answer increases.
7. You can use your summaries and trigger words as your easy guides to answering the questions. You can write down the trigger words and elaborate on them one by one.
8. It is always better not to spend too much time on one question. If you are short on time, you should answer the remaining questions.
9. If you finished the exam early, you can come back to it and reread the question again, especially the ones that you found difficult. You can check your answers if you are really satisfied with them. You can add relevant information in your answers or correct any errors.

These are the steps that every student can take into account when answering their final exams. As mentioned earlier, each students have their own strategies and techniques so this step by step technique is only a guide.

The first thing that you need to have is motivation. There is no one there to physically guide you so you need to have strong self discipline and self motivation. You may enjoy the freedom and the flexibility of learning online but it still entails a degree of responsibility and discipline. You should be able to keep yourself motivated and keep on working even though there is no one there to keep you focused on your task.

You should be able to communicate effectively in writing. Online learning involves a lot of emails, chatting and instant messaging so you have to be prepared for this. If you are good in expressing yourself in writing, then you have an advantage in online learning.

Never hesitate to ask for help when you need one. This is not like in the classroom where the teacher may easily notice one student having difficulty in the class. In the virtual classroom, the teacher is not physically there to see you so if you have any problems, just ask the teacher to help you.

Online learning is convenient because all you need is your computer and an internet connection but you should also have the time and the commitment to study.

On the technical side, you will need access to a computer, modem and a good internet connection. Your computer should have the software applications that you need for word processing, managing files, sending emails, chatting and accessing the internet.

You should also have the basic computer skills in order to succeed in online learning. You should have your own email address and you know how to compose one and attach files to it.

These are just some of the things that you would need when you want to enroll in an online learning program. It is better that you are prepared for this kind of program so that you can focus more on learning.