ONLINE EDUCATION | EDUCATION | CAREER ADVICE

Classesandcareers.com unveils a new navigation bar based on top-down, horizontal models made popular by websites such as Amazon.com. This improved navigation system is designed to allow users to easily negotiate the more than 750 academic programs available through Classesandcareers.com and thereby increase search efficiency and satisfaction.

The horizontal navigation system focuses on nine general areas of academic study, which are featured prominently along the top edge and displayed throughout the portal. These general areas of study include business , criminal justice and legal, design, education , health and nursing, IT and engineering, liberal arts, social sciences, and vocational studies. The general areas are written on tabs and can be activated easily on any page in the portal. Once a general area has been selected, a drop-down menu appears, showing more specific areas of study, which in turn lead to common program names.

“The revamped navigation system has been a real collaborative effort,” says Nicholas Greer, President of Classesandcareers.com (a division of One on One Marketing, Inc.). “It’s been the product of months of research and hundreds of hours of work. But it’s all for the user. The hope is that this new navigation will allow us to help students find exactly the program they want quickly and easily.”

The new navigation system is one of several innovations Classesandcareers.com has planned for its portal in the coming months. “With each new innovation,” Greer notes, “we make it easier for students to find the schools they want, and we make it easier for schools to find the students they want. Everybody’s happy — that’s our goal.”

About Classesandcareers.com:

Classesandcareers.com is a leading online portal providing information and resources to prospective students looking to begin – or to finish – their college education. Currently, Classesandcareers.com represents dozens of colleges and universities offering over 750 accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees, diplomas, and certificates. Classesandcareers.com is dedicated to bringing schools and students together and helping individuals make education decisions about their professional goals.

Sometimes it’s hard to find happiness at work. Maybe your work isn’t fulfilling. Maybe it’s because of your co-workers. Then again, maybe it’s your own negative attitude. The truth is that finding happiness — or at least contentment — shouldn’t be that difficult. Here are ten suggestions on how to start.

1. Try to be optimistic. Optimism means having a positive outlook in even the worst situations. And despite what others may say, optimism can be learned. With regards to your job, optimism means deciding that you will at least try to enjoy your job. When in doubt, fake it. Sometimes faking optimism actually helps you develop optimism.

2. Change your attitude. Many people who are dissatisfied with work tend to have a 9-to-5 relationship with their job. They punch their cards and then go home. One way to combat this mentality is to see yourself as part of the company. Think about it: even though you don’t own the company, it is still yours. With this in mind, it’s easier to develop a sense of pride and fulfillment in the work you do.

3. Be grateful for your job. Before you slam your phone in the wall, remember that your job provides for your necessities. Take a few moments and itemize all the benefits you receive through having a job — any job — and try to feel grateful. Try to remember that there are worse jobs; if that’s a stretch, then think about having no job at all.

4. Avoid self-criticism. Most people are too sensitive, especially when it comes to their own mistakes. Rather than cutting yourself down, think about how you can make improvements. Avoid negative criticism and applaud yourself for successes, even little ones. Remember that most of your daily successes involve tasks and responsibilities that no one notices but you. So give yourself a break.

5. Forgive your co-workers. Forgiveness is hard under any circumstance and especially with people you see everyday. Still, when you’ve been wronged or offended, try to forgive even if the guilty party doesn’t ask for it. Remember that holding a grudge tends to affect you, not them. Offensive people rarely notice those to whom they give offense — that’s what makes them offensive. Just let it go.

6. Stand up for yourself. It’s hard to be happy when you’re being harassed or bullied. Too often people keep quiet or simply quit rather than confronting the problem. Don’t let that happen to you. Don’t tolerate bullying or harassing in any form. Stand up for yourself. By doing so, you will not only stop the harassment but also gain a greater sense of self-confidence.

7. Don’t gossip. Gossip destroys confidences, friendships, and unity. It creates hostility, criticism, and pessimism and can undermine a productive workplace. There is no upside to gossip. So, when invited to participate in gossiping of any form, just remember this: what goes around, comes around. Thus, if you don’t want co-workers gossiping about you, don’t tolerate them gossiping about other people.

8. Be friendly. It’s a simple fact that work is more enjoyable when you like your co-workers. This doesn’t mean every co-worker has to become a “bosom buddy” — after all, “being friendly” isn’t the same thing as “being friends.” Still, you will create more enjoyable working atmosphere by being amicable with your co-workers. Show an appropriate interest and be friendly, albeit professional.

9. Expect change and prepare for it. Workers today face more changes than ever, whether adjustments to policies and procedures, expanding technology, or rapidly growing and equally rapid down-sizing. When change happens, try not to be intimidated by new technologies or responsibilities. You’ll manage. Besides, the great thing about change is that it’s fleeting. So even if it’s a bad change, it’ll be over soon.

10. Quit. Yep, that’s right. If you have tried all these tips and nothing has changed, then it’s time for drastic measures. Quit. Resign. Take a leave. If your job simply isn’t making you happy, then find one that will. There’s plenty of jobs out there. Everyone needs a fresh start or a change of scenery once in a while.

Remember that happiness in the workplace takes action. You can’t be happy by simply sitting around wishing for it. Contentment and satisfaction take work — sometimes daily work — in order to obtain and maintain. But with these strategies, and a little conscious effort, you too can find happiness in the workplace.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kari Whitaker is a technical as well as creative writer. In addition to articles on education and careers, she also enjoys writing short stories, essays, and poetry.

Scholarships are a great way to pay for college education. The problem is that scholarships are typically merit-based, which means they are usually reserved for students with 4.0 GPAs or star athletes.

Thankfully, there are scholarships that rely on other kinds of distinction. Some of these scholarships might be called "non-traditional"; others are downright strange. Here’s a list of ten of the more unusual ones out there.

1. The Patrick Kerr Skateboarding Scholarship. You remember when your mother told you that skateboarding was a waste of time? Well, not anymore. Any high school senior-skateboarder with a 2.5 GPA and serious plans on attending college can apply for one of four scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 dollars each.

2. Carnegie Mellon University Bagpipe Scholarship. This scholarship is truly one-of-a-kind — literally. Carnegie Mellon University awards exactly one applicant every year a $7,000 scholarship to study bagpipe. William Wallace would be proud.

3. Chick & Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Scholarship. This scholarship needs no explanation. If you know how to call ducks, get yourself down to Stuttgart, Arkansas, to compete for a $1,500 prize for college.

4. The Klingon Language Institute’s Kor Memorial Scholarship. Yes, this is a real scholarship based on the popular alien race from Star Trek. The good news is that you don’t have to be a Star Trek devotee to be eligible. In fact, you don’t even have to speak Klingon. You just need to be an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in a language or linguistics program at an accredited university.

Incidentally, there are also several Starfleet Academy Scholarships, also of Star-Trek origins, also $500 each. The Starfleet Scholarships are named for popular actors/characters in the television series and include the Dr. Leonard McCoy Medical Scholarship, the Montgomery Scott Engineering Scholarship, the LeVar Burton Educational Scholarship, and the Patrick Stewart Scholarship for the Performing Arts.

5&6. Billy Barty Foundation Scholarship for Dwarfism and the Tall Clubs International Scholarship. Whether you’re big — over 6’2” for men, 5’10” for women — or small — 4’10” to be exact, with a medical form of dwarfism — you could be eligible for a $1,000 scholarship. They even have a scholarship for left-handed students at Juanita College. In fact, there’s a scholarship for nearly every physical condition — well, almost. I’m still waiting for a scholarship for people who are “big-boned,” if you know what I mean …

7. Duct Tape “Stuck at Prom” Scholarship Contest. This scholarship is open to all students who are attending a high school prom. Applicants enter as a couple and attend high school prom wearing complete attire or accessories made from duct tape. The first place prize consists of a $3,000 scholarship for each member of the winning couple and a $3,000 cash prize to the school that hosted the prom.

8. Michigan Llama Association Scholarship. If you’re studying veterinary medicine at Michigan State University College, and if you’re interested in learning about and working with llamas, you could be eligible for a $500 scholarship sponsored by The Michigan Llama Association.

9. Excellence in Predicting the Future Award. This is not exactly what it sounds like. Any would-be Nostradamus need not apply. Any would-be Alan Greenspan, on the other hand, should. The “Excellence in Predicting the Future Award” is actually a contest for students interested in economics. Participants “buy and sell” future predictions in the manner of buying stocks. A $400 cash gift is awarded every two months by Troy Studios to encourage students to pursue economics or simply to learn more about the world they live in. And finally …

10. Society of Vacuum Coaters Foundation Scholarship. Before you make any snarky remarks about “sucking-up” this scholarship, be advised that it awards $5,000 annually to one lucky student pursuing vacuum coating technology at an accredited university. I don’t know about you, but suddenly vacuums seem much more interesting than Klingons or llamas.

The moral of the story? Basically, it’s that there are innumerable scholarships out there for potential college students. So whether you are a Trekkie, an aspiring Tony Hawk, a bagpiper, or even if you like ducks or duct tape, there’s a scholarship for you. In short, if you can’t find a little extra money for college, then, frankly, you’re just not trying.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Kari Whitaker is a technical as well as creative writer. In addition to articles on education and careers, she also enjoys writing short stories, essays, and poetry.

Benjamin Welch has been a college instructor in writing and composition for nearly six years. When he’s not teaching or playing golf, he offers advice for students seeking information about online schooling and online degrees.