College and University

Places Where Golf Colleges Can Thrive

There are three major reasons that someone might take an interest in learning more about golf colleges. The most obvious reason is that the individual is a college student who is interested in pursuing an education in the field of golf. The second major reason is that the individual already has a degree or experience in golfing and wants to get a job at a golf college. And the third reason is that the individual works in some aspect of the industry that would be interested in marketing to people at a golf college; for example, someone who works as a writer for golf magazines may want to know more about the interests of people attending a golf college. For any of these people, it is going to be important to pay primary attention to those golf colleges that are located in areas where the school is likely to do well over time.

Golf colleges can be opened almost anywhere. In fact, many different golf colleges have started to spring up in recent years because more and more people are starting to realize that this is a degree program which might be worth pursuing. Any location that already has existing golf courses or where there is enough land for a new golf school to build a golf course of its own is going to be a place where the golf college could theoretically gain a following and do well for itself. However, it’s not wise for those people interested in golf colleges to bank on the hopes of a new school. Instead, it’s best to look into those schools which are located in areas that have a long standing tradition of golf history.

While a school may do well in any location, the goal of a golf school is to make sure that the individual who graduates from it is going to be able to get a good job in the industry. To be able to guarantee this, a good golf school must be located in a city that already has a thriving golf industry. The places that are best for golf colleges are those places where people would be likely to go on a golf vacation. Any destination that is already known for its golf is going to be a place that is going to offer opportunities for employment in the golf industry after graduation. People seeking to attend a good golf school will want to look not only at the schools but also at the amateur and professional golf industries in the area.

The top areas for golf schools today are those areas that people will automatically recognize as being places which are great for golfers. Although there are plenty of these places throughout the nation, there are four areas that really stand out: San Diego, Phoenix, Myrtle Beach and Orlando. These four major cities are destinations where people regularly go to golf. Golf colleges that are located in these cities are going to offer what students and potential employees or business partners are seeking from a golf school. The people who are working at these colleges are going to be people who probably have an extensive amount of experience in the local golf industry. This means that these people will have the skills that are necessary to make golf colleges run well but more importantly it means that they are going to be great networking contacts for anyone on a golf school campus who wants to be integrated into the local golf scene. These are factors that should not be underestimated when choosing a niche college that is focused on a specific career path.

Andy West is a writer for SDGA. San Diego Golf Academy is one of America’s premier golf colleges with locations across the United States.

Eligibility for the Michigan Promise Scholarship

Easy ones first: it goes without saying that to receive the Michigan Promise Award you must be a resident of Michigan and be a high school graduate or hold a GED.

Now the details. Make sure you take the Michigan Merit Exam starting in grade 11 in high school. Why your junior year? If you score below a Level 2 in any of the required areas, you can retake the exam during grade 12 and make up the difference. This gives you better odds (by taking the exam on two different occasions) to meet the least test score needed to be eligible for the award. Also, check to make sure that you have not received a merit award under the Merit Award Act. If you have, you are not eligible for consideration for the Michigan Promise Award.

Upon receipt of the scholarship, students have two years to enroll in a postsecondary establishment that is approved by the State of Michigan. Please note, all military academies (USMA, USAFA, USNA, USCGA) are approved organizations even if they are not specifically called out. If you decide to enroll in the Armed Forces or the Peace Corps, you can request an additional two years to enroll in your choice of postsecondary institutions.

Once enrolled, you have four years to finish the requirements for your postsecondary institution. If you’re enrolled in a bachelor’s degree track, you need only finish 50% of the requirements. All other certificate, degree, or vocational programs must be finished within 4 years.

While attending your program of choice you must maintain a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA. In the event that your program does not grade on a normal scale, evidence of completion is still required and can be worked out with the school and the State of Michigan on a situational basis.

Payment of the award is broken down by timeline as seen below:
Students may receive as much as half of the Michigan Promise Award in two installments of $1000 each in the first two years of postsecondary education. To receive the final payment of $2000, students must fill out the “Michigan Promise Scholarship Application for Final Payment” form and submit it to the MSA Office. This can be done via the internet. All requirements for the scholarship must be completed prior to receiving the final payout (i.e. complete your program, or 50% completion in the event that you are enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program).

Finally, note that the real name of the program is the Michigan Promise Scholarship, not the Michigan Promise Award. The terms are used somewhat interchangeably even though the ‘award’ portion is a carry-over from the Michigan Merit Award. They are in fact one in the same, and there is not a separate scholarship for each.

Allen Wright is a freelance writer who covers any topic that interests him. Find more information about the Michigan Promise Scholarship, also known as the Michigan Promise Award by clicking on the link.

How To Take A Class Without Making A College Textbook Purchase: 3 Simple Techniques

A college textbook purchase can set you back hundreds of dollars. I have 3 great places to look for textbooks to avoid buying textbooks altogether. You may not know it, but you can often get textbooks for free. Learn these techniques for saving money in college, and use them over and over again.

How I Took Classes – But I Didn’t Buy Textbooks
I recently finished an MBA, and those textbooks are not cheap! In one class, I had 3 textbooks, but I was able avoid buying 2 of them. I had to make some calls or send some emails, and in this specific case, I had to talk to the professor as well. But in the end, I avoided some expensive books. I’ll show you 3 ways below.

Strategy #1: Loaned Textbooks
I know, it sounds crass, but we are talking about real money. Besides, it isn’t that hard to do. I just called some friends that had been in other classes with me, and I asked if they still had their textbooks. One did, and he let me borrow them for the semester.

Tip: Make lots of friends like this. This guy was a semester or two ahead of me, and took similar classes. We did have one class together where I took it before him in the program. Also, he loved to keep his books for reference for later. I didn’t keep mine, and he didn’t mind loaning his. Also, I was always careful with his books, and I didn’t write in them. I just had to drive to his house to get them, and I avoided several college textbook purchases by maintaining the friendship.

One of the books was an article anthology, just a bunch of articles in one place. A new version had come out, so I had to ask the professor what articles we would be using, and compare that to my borrowed book. He said there were only a few new ones, and I found those online doing a search, or through a library database, like EBSCO Host. I had access as part of being a student, so it was free.

I took care of my friend’s books and returned them at the end of the term. And he lent me some more after that.

Nearly Free: Technically, I may have had to use some paper and toner to print a 10 or 20 page article. Not bad ;o)

Strategy #2: Ask the Professor
I had a book coming to me, and it hadn’t arrived yet, but you can use this to avoid your college textbook purchase altogether in some cases. Since mine was delayed, I asked the professor if I could borrow an old one of his for a couple of weeks. He said no problem.

I used his book till mine came, but I could have asked for a longer period. Professors often have books for years, and they often get extra books from publishers. A good relationship can help here as well.

Strategy #3: The Study Lab
When I took an economics class as an undergrad, we had a lab to go to study for the class. A teaching assistant was there to answer any questions, with his own book. The lab had some great hours, but was often unoccupied.

Simply go to the lab and use the book and ask questions, just like you should as an interested student. Let the lab assistant help you, and use their book while in the lab.

Bonus: You finish your assignment, and you avoid a college textbook purchase. Be sure your class actually has a study lab, a TA, and a book before you try this one. Borrowing is even cheaper than a used textbook sale.

Want more techniques? During two degrees with little money in college, I learned how to avoid buying textbooks whenever possible. Visit the Beat-Tuition Cheap Textbook Hub for dozens of ideas like these for keeping your textbooks cheap.

Textbook Buy Back: One Cool Way to Make It Better

You know what textbook buy back is – wait in line, offer the university demigod your used textbook and hope they give you something for it. But have you ever heard of guaranteed textbook buy back? With a guarantee, you avoid keeping a book you don’t need, and you don’t have to stand in line wondering if your bookstore will have filled their quota for your book. Especially if the person in front of you has the same one.

Standard Textbook Buy Back Jitters
Don’t you hate that feeling, as you stand in line to sell your books? The waiting. The watching to see if they buy your book from every person in the line. Will they still need my book? When you arrive at the register, and they only need 2 of the 7 books you have.

The Guarantee
You can avoid this now by buying through stores that guarantee your textbook buy back. Some campus stores and some online stores will guarantee to buy back certain books, and they will even tell you how much they will pay you. You still have some limitations, as you might expect. Instead of waiting in the line to find out that you can’t sell it back, you find out when you buy it that you can’t.

You also don’t have to wonder how much you’ll get at buy back. The company will tell you right away how much value you will lose – but you will still have the guaranteed textbook buy back price, and you will reduce the cost of your textbooks with a guarantee.

End of Semester Time Saver
At the end of the semester, you will just take your books to a drop off point and pick up your cash – but you may have a line still. The difference is that you will also have a guaranteed return. With online stores, you will usually get a prepaid postage sticker you have to keep until the end of the term, and then you’ll mail them back for a check.

The companies that provide this service will tell you how much they will pay. Many university bookstores also offer this service. The books included in the program will typically have a sticker or an icon, if online, to show you that they have a guaranteed textbook buy back amount.

Be careful to protect that sticker! It serves as your guarantee. Campus bookstores usually require that their sticker still be on the book. Just be aware.

Not Every Textbook is Included
Whether through a campus store or online, not all textbooks will have the guarantee. Even if some of yours don’t, you can still do it the old way during buy back week. And of course you can also sell it online.

Does This Work for Used Textbooks?
Used textbooks can also be in guarantee programs as well. It just depends on the department and the professors at your school. If they have committed to using the book for a few years, then the store will offer a guarantee on that book. Online stores use a different method, but the result is the same, if they see significant commitment to the book, they can offer a guarantee for a used book, too.

The Numbers
The breakdown I give here won’t be perfect in all cases, but you will get an idea of how these programs work. When a college or an online bookstore offers a guaranteed textbook buy back on a new book, they will often promise you 50 percent of the book price you paid at the beginning of the class. Then, they will add half of that when they resell it used, a total of about 75 percent of your price.

Used textbooks will work similarly but with slightly different numbers. Your book will drop half its value, but you do get half the amount back. If you have access to a guaranteed textbook buy back, you get a pretty good deal. You know which textbooks you can sell for something, you probably know how much, and you save time. Cool. Cheap textbooks and less work.

Differences between Online and On Campus
Textbook buy back will be slightly different online versus on campus. You will have to ship for an online bookstore, but not on campus. And you will have to wait for the online bookstore to acknowledge your books. On the other hand, an online store may have a wider variety of books with a guarantee. And you may be able to return the books earlier than at the bookstore.

Your on campus bookstore will be close by, no waiting for a check. They will give you cash, and hopefully the line will be short.

Both will look at your books before they pay. Severe damage invalidates the guarantee. Don’t drop it in a rainstorm, or highlight in black. Some wear is normal, some writing, some highlighting. And you have to have all the pieces: all the pages, and any disks or student workbooks if included when you bought the book.

Expectations
You can’t really expect to get all your textbooks for nothing. I managed to do it in several classes, and even made money on one book. But over a full term of classes or a year, you have to expect to spend something. In those cases, the guaranteed textbook buy back fills the bill, and helps reduce your expenses.

Maybe you’ll even have money for a First Run movie ticket – with popcorn!

Want more techniques?
During two degrees with little money in college, I learned how to avoid buying textbooks whenever possible. Visit the Beat-Tuition Cheap Textbook Hub for dozens of ideas like these for keeping your textbooks cheap.

Used Textbooks: One Great Reason To Sell Yours

You stand in line at your textbook sell back, you hand over your textbook, apparently the equivalent of solid silver just a few months ago. And then the clerk hands you a couple of twenties and says next. Read here why I stopped going to the textbook sell back on campus and made my own arrangements to sell my textbooks, and how you can get reference books for less.

I wrote this article to convince you that any textbook sell back will benefit you more than keeping those books. And I offer a strategy to build a great reference library for less.

My $100 Wake Up Call: A Business Law Textbook
As an undergrad engineering student, I kept nearly every textbook, sell back wasn’t on my schedule. I wanted a reference library, I said. Then, I went back to school for an MBA. I had to take business law, and the book was more than $125. I was stunned.

I found the book at about $100 online and bought it, took my class and seethed. This was my 6th MBA class – I as in an evening program – and I had kept all the books from my previous classes. I was going to build a textbook reference library again, I thought.

Then, I was walking through a thrift store. Not a used bookstore mind you, just a secondhand store. You know, donate, and a church or other charity runs it to help the less fortunate.

And there on the shelf was my book, one edition old – I bought the 8th edition, they had the 7th – for $3.

Yeah, $3. And thrift stores are tax exempt in my area.

I immediately sold every textbook I had used for my MBA classes, and several of my other books that had any value. I consider it one of my best business decisions

Why clean off your shelf?
Textbook sell back shows the situation perfectly. You pay hard earned money for a new or used textbook, take the class, then try to sell it back. The school only has funds to buy back the number of used textbooks they need, frequently leaving you holding yours to keep. You end up with a valuable doorstop, or a nice book end about physics. An expensive book you don’t need.

My library was the same in a way. I had valuable textbooks wasting away on my shelves. Or, I could do my own textbook sell back and then buy older versions at a fraction of the price to fill my library. Which is what I do now.

For instance, the $3 seventh edition textbook I mentioned earlier? It’s on my shelf as I write this. I also bought a strategic management textbook, same authors, 1 edition back, maybe one or two missing chapters from the one I used in class (I can’t remember now if I read those chapters or not) also for a whopping $3. It makes me smile to tell you this ) and I hope you get the message.

Textbook Sell Back and Your College Frig
Books you buy for school have a limited shelf life, like cottage cheese, Lettuce and sour cream. Their value holds until the next edition comes out. But just like a potato you have to skin, any current edition textbook, almost no matter the condition, has value. Whether it has a missing cover, excessive highlighting, notes written in the margin, or even dog ears (the worst), you can have your own textbook sell back if the new edition has not hit the shelves yet.

High prices on textbooks are for a good cause: trying to bring you the best information for your money and give you a great education. Professors use textbooks because then they don’t have to come up with the material to teach themselves, and the books also help meet accreditation requirements to cover all the important stuff in a certain topic.

But it can cost you hundreds of dollars. So get the books you need, and then have your own little textbook sell back every term. Sell some online or to your friends about to take that class.

And if you need a reference book on a subject you have in school, you might want to go check out a secondhand store. You’ll be surprised how far $5 will go.

Want more techniques?
During two degrees with little money in college, I learned how to avoid buying textbooks whenever possible. Visit the Beat-Tuition Cheap Textbook Hub for dozens of ideas like these for keeping your textbooks cheap.