Author Archives: Jeremy
Join the Global Movement to Protect Africa’s Elephants!
Brought to you by 96 Elephants and The College Blender Team
96 elephants are killed every single day in Africa. You can help stop it.
The increasing demand for ivory is driving African forest elephants close to the point of extinction. People across the world are uniting with the Wildlife Conservation Society to protect them. Join the Wildlife Conservation Society to help stop the killing, stop the trafficking, and stop the demand.
You can do your part to save elephants now by pledging that you will not buy or sell ivory products in your country. To pledge and take part in the global movement, visit: http://www.96elephants.org.
Just How Lucrative is a Law Degree These Days?
With lawyers popularized in hit television shows (such as Boston Legal, Damages, and Rake), lawyers being amongst the highest paid professions across the globe, and the prestige that comes with helping others, it is no shock that there has been a large increase of those going to law school. There are so many people going to law school, that some are worrying that a law degree is no longer lucrative. In Australia, the number of students that have graduated from law school, in the last decade, is up almost 330%. In America, a report was recently published by the National Association for Law Placement, and their statistics showed that only 64.4 percent of graduates were working in a job that required the passage of the Bar Exam. This isn’t to say that lawyers across the board aren’t doing well; you just may want to focus on international law and plan to move once you graduate.
Highest Salaries
When looking at countries with the highest salaries, you might be surprised to learn which countries are paying their lawyers the most. Coming in at number one, China. China not only the country with the highest salary—the average salary for a lawyer being $146,945 (in USD)—but also has a low cost of living. Taking into account the cost of living, the weighted annual salary, in USD, is $222,165. Coming in second, third and fourth place—Germany, France, and United Arab Emirates; with weighted salaries, in USD, of $126,272, $125,330, and $123,626, respectively.
Lucrative Equity
Most define lucrative as “producing a great deal of profit.” That being said, profits do not always translate directly into money. If a person you work with became ill, and as a result you got to go on your dream vacation, would you not “profit from their misfortune?” In some scenarios, working as lawyer provides you an opportunity to collect favors from friends and family. Sometimes, a price cannot be put on owed favors. Additionally, there has to be something said for earning and storing up good karma.
Personal Growth and Knowledge
It is very difficult to put a price on the ability to handle problems for yourself. I’ve used a lawyer before, and he charged me $300 an hour. Having knowledge of the law would have saved me a fortune. Think about it—you’d never have to pay for a speeding ticket, ever! If you want to try to figure out some of these legal wiles yourself, Legal Vision is a great place to start. You never know when a little bit of light reading will get you out of a bind. The site also shows a new evolution to the industry – a move away from the classic legal office into online legal services, which is an expanding and profitable niche service.
The Math—All about the Dollars and Cents
The math does not lie. When it comes down to it, yes…having a law degree is very lucrative. A study done by the American Bar Association, says that the average public law school costs $16,800/yr and that the average private law school cost $34,000/yr. Even if you decide to go private school route, and spend $102,000 on your law school, you will still come out well ahead of everyone else. The additional $102,000, divided over the length of your career, will seem like nothing as you receive each paycheck. Big institutions now offer affordable online MBL programs, so it’s easier to graduate while you’re busy with a full-time job to support your studies.
Focusing on American information, the average annual salary for a lawyer is $130,880. The average salary for someone with a doctorate is $81,400, an advanced degree is $72,824, and the average American salary is well below these numbers. The median household income, of $51,017, does not come close to any of those numbers. So, yes, it is safe to say that a law degree is very lucrative.
New University Semester: What to Pack!
As the new university semester starts, you may be wondering what you should pack. It can be a hectic time getting ready to go back so below we’ve included some of the top things you won’t want to forget. From spooky Morph Costumes to practical joke kits; these are just some of the things you might not have thought about in your preparations.
Preparing for the party season
You may be back studying, but there is still plenty to look forward to. Autumn is the start of party season and it kicks off spectacularly with Halloween. This is one of the best times for university students as it allows you to bring out your hidden prankster. There are so many things you can pack to ensure your Halloween is fun and memorable.
If you need a little inspiration, Huffington Post has an excellent list of the top scariest Halloween pranks. One of the best is dressing up like a real life zombie. If you want to make it realistic you’ll need more than a ripped shirt and a white powdered face! Look out for realistic face paints and watch videos on how to create a more realistic zombie look. To make the prank even more realistic, enlist the help of friends. After all, one zombie is unlikely to cause too much of a fright, but a group of zombies would definitely cause a few screams!
If you’d rather keep it simple but you still want to impress then Morph Costumes are a fantastic investment. You can buy skin suits or animated t-shirts that feature spookily realistic gruesome effects. They are activated by an app and smartphone and are really affordable.
The Fresher’s Ball
Another event you will want to be prepared for is the Fresher’s Ball. This is a major event that practically everyone will be at. If you’re looking to make new friends and just have the night of your life, then this is a must-visit event. Many universities also add plenty of entertainment with some going all out on fairground rides, foam parties and fancy dress. Again, Morph costumes are great for fancy dress and you’ll find everything from spooky Halloween to sexy pirate costumes. A good quality costume is essential for every student as there will be many events and parties taking place throughout the rest of the year.
The Essentials
Of course, it is also important to make sure you’re packing a few essentials. A good Halloween costume might come in handy, but it won’t be all you need for the upcoming term! Click2Campus has a fantastic guide on the essentials you should be packing. It includes both obvious and not so obvious items such as a vegetable peeler, Ethernet network cable and a spare light bulb.
There really is so much that you need to pack for your first year. Creating a list so you don’t forget anything is highly recommended. Remember that it isn’t all about boring essentials; there are many wacky, fun items you should also be taking with you to make the most of your experience!
Awesome Costume Ideas for Halloween This Year!
By: Niki Olsen
It’s that time of year again! Halloween is coming up and you’re probably struggling with deciding whether your costume should be funny, witty, sexy, half-assed, homemade, or from the consignment shop in town. Thankfully you stumbled across this post, because we will guide you through your dilemma. This Halloween we will take care of you!
Here are three potential costume ideas for you to showcase on your campus!
Option #1: TV show cast
This idea is basically two options in one (you’re welcome.) Take this option and run wild with your childhood memories! Can you think of that old show that makes everyone chuckle when you mention it? Grab your friends and recreate the cast of Hey Arnold or Scooby-Doo.
Want more relevant? How about Walter White and the gang? Either choice you make, if you choose a memorable show, people will be asking to take photos with you all night…
Option #2: Someone big in pop culture
Think about a character or person that everyone will recognize. Something easy and quick but add to the costume something that will distinguish who you are. The mayhem guy from Allstate will get a laugh out of everybody! Throw on a pink headband, a couple fake cuts and bruises, a black tie and you’re set.
Option #3: A play on words costume
Why not attempt at being funny? A play on words costume would be the perfect way to be witty and creative with not having to try super hard. You can easily Google play on words and go from there. Cereal killer or chick magnet are some of our favorites! Humor is much appreciated!
If you’ve got any other great costume ideas please share them below!
Online Distance Learning: Making Your Education Cheaper
Back in the 80s, it was possible to head off to university with just your government grant in your pocket and live for four years on a diet of student meals, intense study sessions and even more intense party nights (hey, everyone has to relax sometimes).
Jobs were reserved for post-university life, allowing you to focus on gaining the best classification and land a top position when you leave.
But those halcyon days are well and truly over. Tuition fees have trebled in the past four years, bursaries and student loans aren’t large enough to subsidize students and, for those from a poorer background, the world of university education is becoming little more than a pipedream.
Yet, there are much easier ways than packing off to campus and racking up an estimated £30,000 worth of debt on living costs, course materials, utilities and travel. Thanks to the rise of the internet, online distance learning has advanced to become just as effective as its brick-and-mortar counterpart.
The major advances of distance learning
Way back when universities were actually affordable, distance learning was like the wonky, accident-prone brother of “normal” uni.
You had to send off your application to learning providers, wait for what seemed to be aeons for course confirmation, then scour for materials in your local library or stay up until 2am to watch Open University learning programs and hope your essay topic arose.
Put simply, convenience was not key.
How landscapes shift. With the inception of broadband, distance learning has become arguably more convenient than having to rock up to a lecture at 9am or attend a two-hour seminar in the middle of the day.
Now, you can simply access the best online live class platforms for remote learning or ping off an email to access your course materials or chat to your tutor.
Learn when you want, where you want
More than this, the ethos of distance learning is flexibility, meaning that students can fit their learning around their work or family life. When you think about it, the traditional student lifestyle only suits one type of person – preferably young, without real ties to certain towns and able to study on a full-time basis, university molds around them like putty.
But if you’re holding down a family or working for 40 hours a week, regular visits to campus simply aren’t viable – and that’s where distance learning comes into its own.
Even the social aspect of online education is remedied via instant messengers, email and free video messaging services like Skype.
Indeed, better equipped courses kit their Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) out with tailor-made chatrooms to bring together everyone on one specific course for discussion and debates that will sharpen your learning on a course.
While you’ll still have to fork out for tuition, distance learning undoubtedly cuts down on the cost of course materials and allows for a flexibility that traditional universities couldn’t cater to.
So, if you want to live like it’s the 80s again, give a new type of learning a go.
