5 REASONS TO CONSIDER HOSTING A FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENT

by: Arthur Specht

The advantages of hosting an exchange student are abounding. From the exposure of another culture to the rewarding sense of fulfillment, there are five reasons to open one’s home to students studying abroad.

Personal and familial development.

Be it travel, school or work, foreign interaction is a part of life. When individuals and families, open their home to a student studying abroad, personal development is inevitable. Familiarization with other races, cultures and ethnicities expands the mind to the new and exotic. It offers the entire family a fast study on how to be adaptive to foreign interactions, demonstrates how similar and different everyone is.

Newfound respect and understanding.

Once hosts open their homes to exchange students, a natural family-like relationship transpires between the foreign exchange student and the host family. Learning about another person’s ancestry represents an understanding of the world as seen from the foreign exchange student.

Inspires new language possibilities.

As globalization redefines the world we live in, learning a new language is a rapidly growing asset in the business world. It can be beneficial for both a host and their family. When children are exposed to foreign exchange students, they can learn the fun and simplicity of learning a new language. Hosts, who speak the native language of the foreign exchange students they support host, can brush up on the language.

An enriching life experience.

A fresh perspective along with a renewed appreciation can be learned from the host and exchange student student. The co-mingling of divergent ethnicities alleviates the potential of prejudice against other cultures – helping to unite the world making it safer for future generations.

Lifelong Acquaintance.

At the conclusion of a study abroad student’s term, many host families and students remain long-term friends. Saying good-bye represents the next phase of the newly developed, lifelong relationship and a rewarding lifetime experience.

IS AN IT DEGREE RIGHT FOR YOU?

by: Andy West

If you're considering a career in Information Technology, you probably have a lot of questions and are wondering if it will be the best choice for your future. Before such a big commitment is made, extensive research is needed to determine if an IT degree is something you're ready to pursue.

First of all, you should ask yourself what it is about IT that intrigues you and if it's something you can picture yourself doing long term. Have you always had a love for working with computers? Are you interested in the programming perspective and how everything works behind the scenes? Maybe it's the simple fact that you have a unique knack for fixing things when a file or program goes haywire on you.

Whatever the case, you'll be spending a lot of time working with computers in many capacities, so having a solid comfort level with them, or the willingness to gain one, is definitely a must.

Another thing to consider is what type of career you hope to land once you earn your IT degree. You may just have a general interest in the field right now and will create a plan as you delve deeper into your courses and training.

Or maybe you already have a specific type of job in mind like maintaining databases or networks, working on the help desk or doing programming. If that's the case, now is a great time to start looking into any specific training or certifications you'll need to achieve your goals.

And while you are planning your future career, it's also smart to start doing some preliminary research to see what kinds of IT jobs are out there. The market can always change in terms of job volume and demand, but now's the perfect time to see what sort of positions are available, which kinds of companies are looking to fill them and what parts of the country they're located in.

It's also an opportunity for you to find out what kind of experience employers are looking for and if there's much entry level work available. You might want to research the range of wages offered and get a better idea of how IT jobs will pay.

You will need to factor in the type of job skills you'll be required to have once you've received your IT degree and are ready to hit the workforce. Even if you know you're committed to all the coursework and studying that's required during your schooling, are you prepared for everything that will be expected of you on the job?

Consider all of the characteristics you'll need to be successful in an IT career and if they fit your personality. For example, do you have good problem solving skills and can you troubleshoot complicated situations? Are you able to balance a lot of different responsibilities and work well under pressure?

A lot of jobs in IT will require all of these work skills. Another very important requirement will be to have great people skills. Depending on what job your IT degree leads to; it's very likely that your role will involve helping other co-workers and staff. Having the ability to develop good working relations amongst your peers is a major benefit.

Going to school and getting your IT degree can open a lot of doors in your future and bring about all kinds of new opportunities. With some careful consideration and a bit of research, hopefully you'll be able to decide if a career in IT is what you're meant to do.