Education teaches you to think for yourself. Indoctrination tells you what you ought to think. The funny thing is that there are areas where you ought to be taught what to think. Take medicine, for example. You can’t just have your own opinion about certain diseases; there is correct and incorrect diagnosis, and to make the correct diagnosis you have to have been “indoctrinated” in what symptoms make what illness.

The same applies to a lot of other areas. Take the law, for example. Once again, you can’t just make up your mind as to what constitutes justice and what doesn’t. Or what is legally right or what it legally wrong. There are certain standards that you have to learn and know. Once again, you are “told” what to think, so you are – in a sense – being indoctrinated.

The problem with indoctrination, though, is not in connection with fields in which specific knowledge has become established, so that to enter that field, you have to acquire that specific knowledge. The problem with indoctrination comes up with, say, certain cults. A cult is by definition an organized belief system that its members must absolutely adhere to.

We live by the rules of the world we have been born into. And for the most part this is a good idea, and it makes interaction among us predictable. “Don’t rock the boat,” is a saying that addresses itself to the issue of coexisting with our fellow human beings, provided that they – like we – abide by the rules.

What the educated person needs to be able to perceive is when the rules no longer apply, or when following them would backfire. The biblical adage about the letter vs. the spirit of the law should come to mind in this case.

Much of what we call common sense is, in fact, an embodiment of the wisdom expressed by that biblical dictum. Sometimes to keep the rules, you must break them. Provided you really know what you are doing. And hopefully an education, as opposed to an indoctrination, will have given you the proper foundation to always know the difference.

If you are a working adult interested in furthering your education, or if you are a college-age students interested in saving as much money as possible, think distance learning. It’s not that you are going to save a lot of money on tuition itself.

But think about all the other ways you are going to save money. If you are a working adult and have your own place, you can stay there; there is no additional expense for room and board. If you are a college-age student living at home, you can stay there; there is no additional expense for room and board.

You can also save a lot of money by not having to drive to campus; you can save money by not spending it on gas, and by sparing your car additional wear and tear. You can also save money by not eating your meals in a cafeteria or a nearby restaurant somewhere. All this can add up to thousands of dollars saved during a four-year stint with an online course of studies.

Technology is advancing by great leaps and bounds. This means that the ways of distance learning are also going to benefit by all these changes. You may see as well as hear your professors. You may have specialized ways of taking notes on lectures right on your computer. Already today distance learning is working well enough for many colleges and universities to be in on the act.

Distance learning, then, is a way to save money on your education, but it’s more than that. It’s also a very convenient way to work towards your goals, whatever they may be. Degrees are now available from school that operate online, for the associate’s to the bachelor’s and master’s degrees, even to the doctorate.

Anyone who has a computer and access to the Internet can study online and save money, too. The future looks bright for distance learning. It seems that there is no end in sight, so more and more opportunities are likely to open up for you to achieve your goals without leaving the comfort of your home. So be encouraged and think online schooling.

Those days are gone now. Though, of course, brick-and-mortar libraries still stand and are going to do a yeoman’s service for many more years to come, though these days it’s no longer in the old-fashioned catalogues you look up the books you are trying to borrow but from one of the many computers that line up on the tables in the Reference Section.

If you are using a computer at home – and chances are that if you are reading this article, for example, that that’s precisely what you are doing – then all you have to do is type in some terms in your favorite search engine and be on your way. Google it, as most people are fond of saying these days.

What’s online these days is mind-boggling, simply mind-boggling. Are you interested in doing research for a term paper, say, on Jacques Barzun’s theories about education? Just type in the name, and see what happens. In fact, type in any name belonging to a famous educator or historian or philosopher or scientist, and you are likely to find many serious and scholarly articles by or about them, usually free of charge.

Public libraries cater to the general public; it’s usually university libraries that have holdings in all the fields for scholars and their scholarly endeavors. The Internet harbors both kinds of materials. One word of warning is that you really need to be careful and make sure that what you find is indeed serious scholarly work and not just some self-appointed “expert” having a field day with unverified nonsense.

Medical doctors post answers to questions or articles about practically every disease and its potential cure known to humanity; literary scholars post serious essays and articles; historians and theologians also get into the act, as well as psychologists and sociologists. When it comes to what you can find on the Internet, the proverbial sky is the limit. So get with the program and start your searches online.

Art History involves the various historic periods, such as the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the 18th and 19th centuries, and so on. Courses in this area may also include courses in architecture. You may also wish to pursue a line of studies in Art Education. Or simply pursue the plastic arts – pictorial and sculptural.

Since offline courses may involve working in a studio with still lives or live models, it may seem that online courses would be at a disadvantage in this field. But this is really not the case.

The site above is actually provided by the United States Department of Labor. And it shows the many areas in which commercial artists are in demand. So studying art at your chosen online college or university is your best bet for a future in this field. As indicated before, this field can be rather profitable, and it is frequently the domain of people who are self-employed.

So whether you want to be a painter or a sculptor or a commercial artist, the venue for either kinds of art is open to you on the Internet. And as an added bonus, you may actually begin to sell your works online as well as offline. The opportunities are there, all you really need is to motivation and the willingness to act on your motivation. And in no time at all, you’ll be on your way to becoming a successful artist.

This field goes way back to the dawn of Western Civilization, and has always met with resistance from those, like Plato in ancient Greece, who opposed it on the grounds that it could persuade in the absence of the Truth (with a capital T). Many of Plato’s dialogues touch upon argumentation and a search for the Truth, and so do some of the works of his most famous pupil and disciple, Aristotle.

If you are interested in a more general introduction to the art and history of rhetoric, the following article can give you a lot of the basics:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhetoric

There are people in many fields who need to know the art of speaking and writing known as rhetoric. Lawyers use it all the time. So do politicians. But so does everyone else who is interested in persuading the public to take action on certain issues or ideas.

Some thinkers make a distinction between rhetoric and dialectic on the grounds that a rhetorician usually tells people what they want to hear (so it entails flattery) whereas dialectic argues against received opinion and runs the risk of getting disagreement from the public, though the idea is that the public change its mind about certain issues or ideas.

This applies to all the controversy surrounding the whole global warming issue. You have probably heard arguments that prove it – or so they claim – and arguments that disprove it – or so they claim.

The study of rhetoric, therefore – whether for its own sake or for the sake of good citizenship – can be a worthwhile undertaking in a course of studies online or offline. Most universities offer courses in this field, either as a specialized study or as a tool for other areas in politics and life in general.

The study of rhetoric also enhances your basic communication skills, brings them up to par, so that you can succeed in business as well as in higher education in general.

There are quite a number of related fields that come under the general rubric of the Earth Sciences. They include, but are by no means exhausted by, geography, geology, or mineralogy. Also, meteorology and climatology. One course of study closest to your possible interest in climate change may involve the study of the conservation of natural resources. Which would probably entail, among other things, the relation between human agency and its effects on the environment.

there are many universities that offer courses of study in various aspects of the Earth Sciences. Undertaking this kind of study may well be a noble enterprise in today’s world.

A related field that might also appeal to you is oceanography. If you are old enough, you may remember the popular television programs showing the work of the famous French oceanographer, Jacques Cousteau.

The fact is that this line of studies is not frequently associated in popular culture with going to college, but that shouldn’t mean that it’s not a real option for those of you who may harbor an interest in any of these related fields.

Your main interest might be to enter the wide-ranging and still controversial debate concerning global warming, which is more and more frequently referred to as climate change these days. Scientists insist that this is real and that human agency is responsible for at least part of it in terms of various emissions.

One particular area has to do with the fate of the oceans. This is important because two thirds of the earth are actually covered by water.
The controversy about this issue involves the question, to what extent is the human race responsible for climate changes that adversely affect the environment? And what are the consequences of this for future generations? Your children and grandchildren and great grandchildren? Once again, undertaking this kind of study may have far-reaching effects, particularly in view of possible changes that may thwart or even – under certain circumstances – reverse the adverse effects of global warming. The United States has a role to play here, and just what it is, you can read up on at the following site:

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/

If you are, therefore, interested in pursuing a line of studies leading to at least a minor in this area, you can certainly start by looking at the various online opportunities available to you.

The one can refresh the other. After putting in a good day in classes and at the library, you might want to relax with friends in the evening. Go to a movie and grab a sandwich and a coke afterwards. And “shoot the breeze.” College students have been known the solve all the problems of the world in those BS sessions.

In all seriousness, the human mind requires both dedication and relaxation – just like you require the waking hours to be followed by adequate sleep. But pastimes can actually enhance your studies if the two are in some ways related. If you are interested in the stage, then going to see a play for pleasure is also an object lesson in your development as an actor.

If as a kid you enjoyed playing with a chemistry set, you are going to enjoy joining a science club at college, or to participate in online discussions about the fascinating aspects of the field. Being in the company of like-minded people who share some basic interests can be both business and pleasure combined to the mutual benefit of each.

So dividing your time between studying and socializing is not at all divisive. On the contrary, it unites your interest with doing something interesting that’s besides your interest. Though there can be a harmonious coexistence here, too. If you want to be a lawyer, then a penchant for crime drama may aid and abet your studies. Especially if it involves courtroom settings and lawsuits enacted.

Cultivate friendships with like-minded people, with people who share your interests. That way you can have the best of all possible worlds working for you. You can feed each other’s interests with many an angle that one or the other of you might have stumbled upon.

This kind of sharing is an excellent way to grow more fond of your field and to acquire more and more knowledge in it, both formally and informally.

When you are learning something, you begin with the basic facts: thus, at the foundation of knowledge is information. If the information is correct, the knowledge will have a sound basis for itself. But if the information is not correct, the knowledge that’s built upon it is likely to be askew.

To know something means to have the right information at its foundation. In science, for example, empirical evidence is required for a theory, and if enough empirical evidence suggests that the theory is correct, it becomes knowledge. Things are really similar in the humanities.

To understand Shakespeare, you need to read his plays and come to terms with their meaning. Visiting his hometown in England, Stratford-upon-Avon, is a nice diversion, but it’s not going to help you understand the Bard’s plays.

Wisdom is reached when your understanding of certain scientific theories or certain interpretation about the works of great writers reaches a certain level of significant insight that you can actually apply to your life. When you see a connection between something you have learned and know and things that happen in your own life.

Wisdom is especially important in times of crises. That’s when you need to keep a cool head and remain calm and collected as you survey the possible ways in which to emerge from a given crisis with as little damage to you or to your loved ones as possible. This can apply equally with some natural disaster or with some social upheaval.

If you are studying online, you are gaining an education on what has now been called for the longest time the “information superhighway.” Indeed, the Internet is a good place to get fast to finding the correct information on which to build knowledge from which to derive wisdom.

Whether you study online or offline really makes no difference. In either case the goal is the same: to become the best educated person you can possibly become. Once you have this goal in hand, you can create a decent life for yourself and your family.

The trouble with progress and innovation is that not everything that’s new is good. Sometimes something new comes along and quickly proves to be a disaster. But by that time it may get entrenched and difficult to get rid of. Once something is in place, good or bad, it’s not easy to dislodge or remove it.

One of the good things about getting an education is to be able to tell the difference between good and bad, right and wrong. Conservatives like to claim that there are absolute values, whereas liberals tend to be more relativistic. Sure, certain commandments seem to carry a universal force: “thou shalt not kill” is certainly one of them. It’s with lesser issues that the conflict between absolution and relativism can plague us.

To drink or not to drink. There was a period in American history called the Prohibition, which lasted from 1920 to 1933, for 13 lucky or unlucky years. This is clearly an issue that’s not absolute, that’s relative to the desires of certain people in a given time and place. The Prohibition has a colorful but not always cheerful history, and if you are curious about it, you can read up on it right here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_United_States

Obviously, the Prohibition failed in the long run. People would just not put up with it, so it was repealed and to this day alcohol is a legal drug.

Perhaps the mark of an educated person is a kind of neutrality. Or an ability to side with tradition when doing so seems reasonable and something good, or to side with something that represents progress and innovation, when it is clear that this is a good thing and will be for the common good.

It is by remaining open-minded that an educated person can maintain a good balance between what is old and what is new, what is traditional and what is progressive. To be exclusively one or the other is probably not what an educated person is going to be.

Most of these kinds of papers are required in the humanities and also in the social sciences, like history, psychology, sociology. But also in political science and other subject areas.

So what should you do when you are facing the necessity of producing a term or research paper? The first thing is to listen to the professor. Professors usually indicate both the scope and the possible subject matter of a term or research paper. Suppose you are taking a survey course in English literature.

You may be asked to write a paper in which you analyze a poem or a story. You may be given a list of poems or stories to choose from. And you may be instructed to do research on the poem or story of your choice. That is, to find published interpretations of them. You can then compare and contrast the different views you find and, in conclusion, offer your own ideas.

If you are taking a course in history, your task might be to write a paper, say, on the causes of the French Revolution. One approach would be to find books and articles that deal with this topic; find the different views held by different historians, and write a summary of these views in such a way as to present a coherent picture of the times leading up to the revolution.

Another approach might be to do research on the reaction to the French Revolution in other European countries. Again such topics may actually be suggested by your professor.

In a psych or soc course once again the sky is the limit. Want to write about why Freud has been discredited by now? You are likely to find many sources for that topic. Do you want to research homelessness in New York city? Such a topic would be appropriate for a paper in sociology. Again, what you professor suggests should be your starting point.

A well-written paper means that it’s well organized. That you state your thesis and then get into the details to prove its correctness. There are different ways in which to approach a term paper. Sometimes you want to present a problem, and make it look as if it were insoluble, but then go and surprise your readers by solving it anyway.

Second, a term paper measures your ability to do research. Also your ability to understand what you read, to see the issues involved in your topic clearly, and to be able to communicate those issues with clarity and charm.

In short, being able to write a good term or research paper shows your professor that you are on your way toward mastering your subject. Look upon the requirement as a rite of passage, as a move into the world of the professionals. So look upon this requirement as a welcome challenge. You will do well with it.

What you want to do, therefore, is find a school that offers the kind of business degree you are looking for at a price you can afford to pay. Also, look at other factors involved. Like faculty, and the ways and means of interacting with teachers and fellow students alike.

One of the advantages of online schooling or distance learning is that there are no borders, so interacting with both teachers and your fellow students by means of e-mail or other texting programs is a cinch.

In addition to taking courses in business, look into the possibility of perhaps starting an online business of your own even before you graduate. If you know how to build a Web site, you can start selling services or even products online. Check with your school to see if they provide opportunities along these lines while you are studying for some specific degree in business.

One possible idea – and this is just an idea that you can explore on your own – is going into business online with a service or product by means of a Web site while you are studying in order to earn the money to pay for the tuition your online school charges. This could be an ideal situation if you have lots of time at your disposal.

Regardless of your ambition, it is clear that there are many things you can pursue online in order to obtain a bona fide degree in business at any level: associate’s or bachelor’s or master’s.

Combining studying with online business experience may be the best thing for you. Earning your way towards a degree online may be the best way to have your cake and eat it, too. The fact is that the Internet has been providing these kinds of opportunities to people of all ages and income levels from the get-go. Whatever you put your mind to, therefore, is likely to work out for you, provided you don’t just idly sit around and wait for it to happen.

A degree in business is, therefore, a good investment in your future. And there is no reason why if this is the area that you are interested in pursuing, you can’t accomplish your goal by attending an online college or university in order to prepare for a workable and promising future.

Making presentations means making speeches; and rumor has it that people in general are more afraid of making a speech than they are afraid of death. This is really silly, especially when you stop to think about it.

So let’s do that here, let’s think about making a speech, doing some public speaking. First of all, it’s a little known and appreciated fact that for the most part your audience is going to be predisposed to liking you. You really have to do something outlandish to turn them off. Knowing this doesn’t mean that you won’t have butterflies in your stomach, but a bit of so-called stage fright is actually good for you; it can enhance your presentation.

When you stand up to speak in front of an audience, smile (unless you are going to give a eulogy – use common sense). And it’s usually a good idea to start with a joke (make sure it’s appropriate) or with a bit of self-deprecatory charm. Such things will make the audience like you right off the bat.

If in school you are responding to a question asked by your professor, you are also doing public speaking of course. If you know the answer, your job is half done. Delivering it clearly is where good communication skills come in.

Think here of the fact that when you are among friends, you can talk quickly and without stage fright, and that in that situation you can think and talk at the same time. Rather, you are not even aware of thinking, you simply say what you mean. Well, the same thing should happen when you know the answer.

The key word here is “apparent,” for we can’t really say anything about something we don’t know anything about.

It should go without saying that if you are fairly good at making speeches, you should also be fairly good at writing well. Writing is to speaking what reading is to listening. The two skills go hand in hand, in spite of what certain theories – like deconstruction – may claim.

Actually, deconstruction claims that there is no difference between writing and speaking, that speaking is already a kind of writing, and that’s true enough, but you don’t have to worry about that at this point.

In a very real sense, then, both Wittgenstein and Heidegger hit upon the same idea. It is, indeed, true that the more words you know, the larger your world is. What is amazing about human beings is our ability to learn a language way before we learn how to read and write.

Children pick up their native language without any effort. And their vocabulary grows by great leaps and bounds in short order, in just a few years after they begin to speak.

By the time you either think about going to college or are already there you will have acquired quite a vocabulary, yet you may find yourself wanting to enlarge it a lot more . Almost every subject you study has its own vocabulary. And some of these vocabularies are quite extensive.

If you intend to become a doctor, for example, be prepared to learn thousand of words that ordinary people don’t know. The same goes for students of law. Lawyers speak a language of their own frequently referred to as legalese.

The fact is that a large vocabulary is one of the founding stones of a good education. Again, the Internet abounds in help along these lines. Here, for example, is a site that can be of a great deal of help to you if you are interested in increasing your vocabulary:

http://www.buildingvocabulary.org/

Reading a lot will automatically increase your vocabulary, even if you don’t stop to look up every word you don’t yet know the meaning of. In many cases, the context will help you determine what a new word probably means.

But there are instances where looking up words you do not yet know is necessary, especially when you are reading an assignment for one of your courses in school.

Another bit of good advice is the old idea that to make sure that a newly acquired word stays with you in your long-term memory is to use the word by making up a couple of sentences with it in them.

Increasing your vocabulary can actually be a lot of fun. So get in the habit of looking up words and of also checking their etymologies. And have fun impressing your friends with some newly acquired words.

That way they will be impressed – in a fun way – and the words in question will enter into your long-term memory. The more words you know, the better off you will be in any college or university.

They go together like horse and carriage of olden days, and this used to be said of love and marriage, for the sake of the rhyme, no doubt.

In any case, it’s clear that reading and writing are wedded in a kind of metaphoric marriage which can never even think of entering a divorce court. In other words, writing will always be wedded to reading, and vice versa.

You begin by learning to read. And then you learn to write. That’s usually the order of things in your elementary education. But later, by the time you are in high school and, eventually, by the time you are in college, the requirements for good reading and writing will have increased a great deal.

So what are some of the things to keep in my when it comes to reading and writing well. Let’s talk about reading first: paying attention is the first order of things. See and grasp every word and every phrase and every sentence and every paragraph from the beginning of a piece of writing to its end.

This is the number one rule of good reading: in order the grasp what a text is “saying,” you have to “listen” to its words attentively. Imagine that you are listening to a close friend telling you something. You are not going to start daydreaming in the middle of her sentences, are you? So don’t wander off while you are reading either. Discipline yourself to pay attention from the beginning to the end of the reading process.

Writing is a bit more tricky. Many people fear it. They say that they don’t know grammar well enough to do it well. Or they are just scared when they are facing a blank sheet of paper or a blank computer monitor. Yes, the prospect of conjuring up words and phrases and sentences and paragraphs out of your own head is a heady prospect. But it’s not impossible. Clearly, quite a few people write well. And there are quite a few competent and even great writers in the world in every generation.

The funny thing is that when it comes to reading and writing well, these skills are already required in order to learn them, but in order to learn them, you must acquire them in the first place. There is even an interesting kind of play of words here: required and acquired: you need to acquire what is required.

The fact is that reading well goes hand in hand with writing well, and vice versa. The more you read, the more you will be able to write well.

According to an old observation imitation is a form of flattery. This idea fits writing to a tee. When you read good writing and then imitate it, even if subconsciously, you are paying homage to good writing. And thereby acquiring it, acquiring what is required. And it’s a win-win situation for you on both counts.

The word means something like “out/leading.” Literally, by virtue of its Latin etymology. At its most basic level you may think of it as being led out of ignorance to knowledge.

The idea of education goes way back in history, probably to the beginning of the first human community, no matter how primitive. People have always had to learn the ways and means of surviving in their own worlds.

Today, of course, education is big business. From pre-school to elementary school to high school and then on to colleges and universities and even to graduate school a person can spend considerable time in school before he or she is done preparing for a worthwhile and profitable future.

So education means, among other things, learning the things you need to know to enter a given profession. If you want to be a lawyer, you need to pick an appropriate major in college – with lawyers-to-be it’s usually political science, but there are no hard and fast rules. If you want to be a doctor, majoring in biology is college is probably a good preparation for medical school.

It doesn’t matter what field you choose, there is always a knowledge base for each field that you have to acquire and master in order to be a success in it. So education is essentially a preparation for a life-long career of some kind. But there is something else to it as well. It’s the acquisition of a certain way of seeing things, of a certain way of looking at the world.

At times students get impatient with requirements because – being young – they don’t see why they have to take all those courses when they are only interested in X Y or Z. In time, though, most people look back upon those “unnecessary” requirement as having been a blessing in disguise.

You never know what bit of knowledge can come in handy and aid and abet you when you are in most need of it. So get on with the program, and get the best education you can get.