Systems Administrator Degree

History of the Internet from Melih Bilgil on Vimeo.

There are quite a few confusing messages on line these days.  It doesn't matter if you are  searching for a System Administrator Career or pursuing training as a Medical Reimbursement Specialist.  You are constantly being bombarded with misleading and inaccurate messages.   Let me simply state for the record that The Federal Government is NOT going to be providing you money to go to school ENTIRELY for free!   I know that may come as a major disappointment, but  college is affordable.  There is a financial plan for everyone.  If there is a will, there is a way.  There are lots of ways to pay to attend college: grants, loans (and taking out loans to invest in yourself isn't bad!), online college scholarships, interest-free payments, and all sorts of other options.   Check out http://www.harrison.edu/financial-aid/eliminate-your-financial-fears.aspx for assistance in alleviating your financial fears.


 

Part 1  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbBvmQbdoWA
Part 2  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OZlWq0qGO8

      So over the weekend, I came across an article on interviewing tips for military spouses. As if trying to find a school wasn't hard enough! With deployments every couple years, it is hard to find an employer who will hire you on. The great thing about Harrison College is they do offer lifetime placement assistance and they have a site where you can upload your resume so, employers can look at your resume. I have to say Harrison College does help with Career Advancement. Not only with the programs but with the assistance they provide. Whether you want a System Administrator career or Human Resource careers, these tips will help you in any position.

In today’s highly competitive job market, you can be sure that you won’t be the only one trying to land the job. These tips will help you stand out over the other candidates:

Before the interview

• Learn what you can about the company and the position. Do your research online and off. If you know others who work there and can speak with them discreetly about the organization, do so.

• Review your resume and mentally prepare answers to the most common interview questions.

• Think about questions that you will want to ask the employer. Your questions will help you determine if the company and the position are right for you.

• Decide what you are going to wear at the interview.

• Gather together your reference letters, your portfolio, and any other items you will need for the interview. 

• Make sure you know how soon in advance to leave your house to get there on time. Drive the route ahead of time, taking into consideration potential traffic. Build in time for “friction,” like road construction.

• Make arrangements for child care, if necessary. Plan to go to the interview alone.

“America’s future will be determined by the home and the school. The child becomes largely what he is taught; hence we must watch what we teach, and how we live.” Jane Adams

The following was written by Vene Bartlett, a student at the Harrison College Columbus, Indiana campus. Thank you, Vene, for sharing your this with us all.


No matter how old they are, one of my favorite things to do is hold my grandchildren on my lap and rock them, just as my grandmother once did to me, slowly back and forth while patting their little legs in a steady rhythm. What a comfort it had been for me as a child and here I find myself passing it along to a new generation. What an example my grandmother was to me! And now, I find my grandson, Malik, only three years old, patting my arm or back the same way. I find great pleasure in thinking that my great grandchildren and their children who follow will find the same comfort that I felt as a child.

Sometimes I sit and think about the impact that my life has on my grandchildren and the example I am setting for them in word and deed. One value I plan to pass along to future generations is the belief that a college education is a priority.

You see, we are a family of adult learners who value education at any age. Dave Bartlett, AKA “Grandpa”, is currently a student at Harrison College’s distance learning program in pursuit of a network administration career. I am a student at Harrison College Columbus Indiana college campus taking day classes that will assist me in a career as a medical reimbursement specialist.
My oldest daughter, Megan, is a student at Harrison also. She attends classes at night. My youngest daughter, Amy is a registered nurse and is currently teaching at the campus at nights.

I know that our belief in education will impact generations to come. As a mother and grandmother, I have always stressed the importance of studying hard and doing your personal best in school, but as adult education program student, I, and the rest of the adults in my family, have put this belief into action and become a living example of what education can do. We have become living examples to the children.

If you are an adult learner and experiencing days when you think you just can’t do it anymore, ask yourself what kind of an example am I setting for my family and remember the power you have to make a positive impact on the ones around you.

I am happy to report that my ten year old granddaughter, Makala, is already planning her college education at Harrison College.

Every day on my way to the Harrison College Columbus Indiana college campus I drive by a house that is under construction.  Some days I look at that house and think WOW, how exciting it would be to build a house from scratch. Picking out all the finishes—wood floors, tile or carpet—selecting the paint colors—well, the list goes on and on.  Building is just the art of taking an idea, even a dream, and making it into something real.
 

Well, enrolling in an adult education program is a lot like building a house from scratch.  The first thing to consider is the blueprint. What do you want it to look like when you are done? Finding the right career path is a big part of this step. Are you looking for a career as a medical assistant or would a career as a systems administrator be the right path for you? Both are very stable career choices, but which one works for you? What do you want out of the college you attend? A quality education? Career development assistance? Employment assistance during college and for the rest of your life? Financial aid assistance from trained professionals? Maybe even just something as simple as service and a friendly atmosphere?  The simple fact is that many people would shop longer and give more thought to the choice of a contractor than they do the college they choose to attend.
 

Once you have determined your blueprint, the next thing to consider is the foundation. A strong foundation is the key to having lasting value in your investment—be it a house or a college degree. Look at the various types of options available in adult education programs like distance learning college degrees to attending a local ground campus. Finding the atmosphere and the flexible class schedules that will work for you will increase your probability for success.  Keep in mind that this is a foundation—the base on which so much more will stand, so look for an Indiana accredited college for the best value.
 

Be mindful of your timeline. It is easy to get started on something and lose track of the goal of completing it. If you are entering a college for working adults or if you have attended college before, find out what you need to do as the student to ensure that your previously earned credits will be reviewed and applied if possible. Keep your eye on prerequisite courses that may not be offered ever semester or quarter as missing one of these could bring your education to an abrupt halt.  Another option is to look for a college with an atmosphere much like Harrison College where the Dean provides scheduling options based on the individual student. After all, the goal is to educate and graduate students in a timely manner and with the least amount of confusion to the process.
 

What about budget? Of course budget is always a consideration. Make sure you complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on time (prior to March 10th each year) to qualify for Indiana scholarships and grants. The process can be confusing, so don’t be afraid to ask questions of the professionals in the Financial Aid department at your school.
 

If you are considering taking that first step to building a strong and successful future, consider Harrison College. With campus locations in Indiana and Ohio and distance learning opportunities globally, Harrison College may be the right college to provide you with the tools you need to get started.

This blog entry is more about a very important life lesson I learned a very long time ago. Drum roll please………
 

Success is a CHOICE

I was a high school freshman in 1982. I won’t lie, school was not a priority and I often did only the minimum amount of work to get by without getting in trouble. I recall—right down the outfit I was wearing (yes, it was the ‘80s so let you mind go wild with that one)—not having my homework done in History class. Mrs. R., a seasoned teacher, called me out on it in front of the whole class. She asked why I did not turn in my assignment. When I said that I had not completed it the night before, she rephrased it for me by saying, “So, you chose not to complete your homework?” I explained that I just didn’t do it—there is something about saying that I CHOSE not to do it that made it seem so much worse than just leaving it at I didn’t have it. And then, in a move that shocked us all, our “old” teacher quoted to us a line from the song Freewill by Rush.
 

If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
 

That line has haunted me ever since. I know when I put things off or when I refuse to deal with situations or needs, I am making a CHOICE to do so. I have accepted that I must be accountable for the things that happen in my life as a result of either choosing or not choosing.
 

There is no good reason to not make your future better.
 

• You can choose to enroll in an adult education program OR choose to remain as you are now. With this choice you have options--commit to your education or accept that you may not experience the career advancement and security you are dreaming of for your future.

• You can choose where you want to attend classes—Harrison College has campus locations from Muncie, Indiana to Evansville, Indiana and even a distance learning college online.

• You can choose to major in Business Marketing or an education that will support a System Administrator career.

The most important thing you can do for yourself and your family is to MAKE THAT CHOICE! Choose to be successful.

And, thank you Mrs. R. for teaching me more than just history. Thank you for teaching me to be accountable to myself.
 

Earlier this week, I went to the Indiana State Fair and had the opportunity to be a part of the Harrison College booth. What fun that was! I was excited to talk with people from all over the state as they stopped by to see who we are and what we are all about. While we were talking I began to see that there were a few questions that seemed to be the most common.


So, here are the top 5 Questions Asked at the Indiana State Fair!

Q:  “Where is Harrison College located?”


A:  Harrison College is everywhere! We are as close as next door throughout Indiana in Elkhart, Muncie, Anderson, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Columbus, Terre Haute, Evansville, and Lafayette. We are excited about our newest campus in Columbus, Ohio—the first ground-campus we have outside of the state of Indiana. And we are available INTERNATIONALLY via our distance learning college. Many people have known about us for 107 years—but they knew us by the name Indiana Business College—and as you can see, we are not just in Indiana anymore.
 

Q:  “What kinds of degrees do you offer?”


A:  Many people are surprised that we offer both Associate and Bachelors degrees. We offer high quality instruction in small classes or via online college courses. Our students earn degrees in Accounting, Business Marketing, Business Management, Criminal Justice, Vet Tech, Medical Assistant, Network Administration, and Massage Therapy just to name a few. For a complete list, just click here.
 

Q:  “Will my credits transfer to Harrison College?”


A:  They may! Just like all colleges, we would have to review your credits to see if the course you have completed covered the same material as the courses we teach. We will also look to see if you had the required grade for credits to transfer and that the credits are not over 10 years old. Now, here is where we differ from other colleges—we do this HAPPILY!
 

Q:  “Is Harrison College accredited?”


A:  YES! We are nationally accredited through Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) and recognized by the Career College Association (CCA).
 

Q:  “Do you have any student like me?”


A: YES!  I always want to laugh when someone asks me this because that was maybe the biggest question that I had when I enrolled at Indiana Business College at almost 30 years old. It really doesn’t matter what age you are, if you have a high school diploma or a GED, if you work full time and have a family or if you are enrolling right out of high school—THERE ARE PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU ATTENDING HARRISON COLLEGE!
 

I would like to introduce you to a very important person, Kelly Jones-Waggoner, the first person you meet when you visit the Harrison College campus in Columbus Indiana. Kelly is what we like to call our Director of First Impressions. I joke with Kelly that she has been with us for over 100 years but the truth is that she just hit her 18th year with us in July 2009! She was here when we moved the campus twice to accommodate for the growth in our student body, when we added the Medical Assistant degree programs—this was significant because we were suddenly not only a “business” college but were the first Columbus Indiana college to offer an actual degree program recognized by the AAMA in medical assisting, and she is the first voice to inform our callers that we have a new name. All in all, Kelly has been here through it all.
 

We are all thankful for Kelly and the things she does for us on a daily basis, but I would like to share with you why I am thankful that she is here doing what she does so well. In order to do this, I will need to tell you a little story.
 

I enrolled at Indiana Business College many years ago. I was what you would call a “non-traditional” student—that meant that I was not just out of high school—nowadays we call that an adult learner. I had lost my job at a factory and I had a family that depended on me. I had all the things going on in my life that most people do—bills to pay, a household to run, children to love and discipline. I wasn’t sure of my ability to pull off adding being a student to the list of the roles I had to fill. I lacked a lot of self confidence but knew I needed to do something to change the path I was on. So I started classes and shortly I had the confidence I needed to know that I could pull it off and be successful.
 

Then WHAM! out of the blue I was hit with a really big heat bill. When I say really big, I mean like $700 big! That was a huge amount for someone who only worked part time. It was enough to throw me into crisis mode. I could see nothing at all in my life past that heat bill. I saw only that moment and did not even attempt to look ahead a week let alone two years. Within an hour of opening that bill, I had decided that I needed to quit school and go find a job in a factory.
 

I was too ashamed to go into the campus the next day, so I sent my husband in to quit for me. Well who do you suppose was the first person he saw as he entered the campus? That’s right, Kelly Jones-Waggoner. He explained to her that I would not be returning to classes. She explained to him that quitting was not an option—then she came to the parking lot to tell me the same thing!
 

You might be imagining yelling or scolding, but it was nothing like that. It was a Friday and she simply said one thing… “Don’t quit today—wait until next Tuesday and then come see me.” I agreed that I would wait until next Tuesday and went home.
 

Next Tuesday rolled around and I went to the front desk between classes. I asked Kelly what was going to happen now—it was “next Tuesday” after all. She asked me if I was still planning to quit school. I said no.  She asked what had changed and I told her that I had come up with a solution. I had borrowed some money from my mother and set up a plan to pay her back. I had collected some rent from our roommates and that helped a lot. I had talked with the gas company too and had made some payment arrangements that I could live with too. I was still curious what was so special about “next Tuesday” and Kelly said basically that there was nothing special about that day—she had only asked me to wait until then because she had faith that I would figure something out and be able to see what I would be loosing if I were to quit school.
 

She was right. I often wonder what my life would have been like if I had quit school that day. What if there had been no “next Tuesday” for me?
 

Many adult education program students face the same struggles I faced. They have a dream of having something worthwhile—it may be a degree in Medical Assistant or a Network Administration career—whatever it is, it means career advancement and that means a better life all around. Too often we are blindsided by life. When this happens the blinders go on and we experience tunnel vision—seeing only the problem and few solutions or consequences to our choices. Thanks to Kelly “Next Tuesday” Jones-Waggoner, I made the right choice to continue my education until I held my degree. My life is better for it and I didn’t freeze to death in the process.
 

If you are considering a degree as a way to change your life, I urge you to talk with someone at your local Harrison College campus or contact us online at www.harrison.edu. After all, we have been changing lives one student at a time for over 100 years—nobody does it better!