Trying To Move On

Dear Margo - DEAR MARGO: I'm in an unusual (or perhaps not) situation.

Are you wondering how some students manage to bag good scholarships? It isn't always because they are just smart or talented; it's also because they prepared for it. If you really want to get a scholarship to help you with your education needs, here are a few secrets scholarship winners have shared with us:

Prior preparation prevents poor performance. You don't have to wait until your senior year before applying for a scholarship. You can start looking for one as early as your sophomore year. There are contests, exhibitions as well as summer jobs you can apply for, and they can help you prepare for college.

Do the search on your own. Sure, you can ask for some help from your parents, but it's much better to take charge of your own scholarship search. You're the one who's going to apply for that scholarship, not your parents, your teachers, or your friends. Why not test how far you can reach using your capacities?

Avoid errors on your applications. Make sure that there are no typographical errors on your scholarship form, since these might lead to unnecessary problems in your application. Also, proofread your essays. Ask someone to recheck your essay before submitting it. Mistakes, no matter how small they are, reflect one's character. You may not be able to win that scholarship you're eyeing for because of these errors.

Scholarships help make your college life so much fun.

Apply for multiple scholarships, regardless of how big or small they are. Local scholarships, even those in small amounts, can be extremely useful once you get them. You can use the money to beef up your savings, or you can set the extra cash aside for your emergency money.

Look for scholarships everywhere. Don't just rely on the internet; check out your school's bulletin board or the Guidance Counselor's office. Besides giving you information about the usual range of scholarships out there, your guidance counselor can also tell you about other lesser-known scholarship packages sponsored by companies and organizations.

Looking for a scholarship isn't that difficult. Just remember that patience and good preparation are crucial to looking for a scholarship that fits your needs and skills. Who knows, you might stumble upon a good find today!

College life is always fun

Reuters - Fans of classical music and jazz are creative, pop lovers are hardworking and, despite the stereotypes, heavy metal listeners are gentle, creative types who are at ease with themselves.

The program has raised the level of competence among the CSCS specialists around the world. At last count there were over 19,500 certified CSCS professionals, including athletic trainers, physical therapists, strength and conditioning trainers, chiropractors, physicians, researchers, educators and coaches.

Register For The Course

To register for the CSCS exam, you must hold either a bachelor of arts or bachelor of sciences degree from a school, college or university, accredited by any of the following: Middle State Association, New England Association, North Central Association, Northwest Association, Southern Association and Western Association.

If you are a college senior, you must show proof that you are currently enrolled in an accredited institution. Your exam scores and results will not be released until you are able to submit a transcript that will verify that you have graduated from an accredited institution.

The CSCS Exam

The CSCS exam is comprised of two sections that will test your knowledge on Strength and Conditioning.

The first section, the Scientific Foundations section, will contain 80 multiple choice questions that measure your knowledge on exercise sciences such as anatomy, exercise physiology, bioenergetics, biomechanics, and acute and chronic adaptations to anaerobic and aerobic exercises, and nutrition. You will be given 1 hours to answer:

58 questions on exercise sciences

AND

22 questions on nutrition.

The second section, the Practical or Applied section, will have 110 multiple choice questions on program design, exercise techniques, testing and evaluation and organization and administration. You will be given 2 and hours to answer:

40 questions on a video to will assess your proficiency in exercise techniques, functional anatomy and testing procedures

78 questions based on exercise technique and Program Design 1

10 questions based on Organization and Administration and

22 questions based on testing and evaluation.

Successful completion of the CSCS exam will help you land a job of your choice, working with athletes and scientifically creating programs that will improve their performance. With increasing awareness of the importance of exercise and fitness, parents today are introducing their children to athletics and sports at an early age. This is creating a demand for CSCS professionals. With track and field events becoming ever more competitive, there are lots of opportunities for CSCS professionals.

Successfully passing the CSCS exam will give you a leg up in your career as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist - and who knows - someday you may see one of your trainees standing on the winning podium at an important athletic meet!

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online, http://www.sixsigmaonline.org - offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.