As a current or future distance learning student, you have made a critical decision to move forward with your education and expand your career opportunities. Your reasons for choosing online education may have included the freedom to study at your own pace, to fit school around your work schedule, to be home with your family as much as possible, or to complete a program of study not offered locally. Many of our students are just like you—they share similar goals and chose a Blackstone education for similar reasons. Even though you don’t meet your fellow classmates in a traditional setting, you can still learn about them, ask for their advice, and debate important topics with them in Blackstone’s online discussion boards.

Each student enrolled at Blackstone has access to the Online Student Center through our Web site, www.blackstone.edu . After creating an account, you have the ability to enter the Discussion Board through your student homepage. You can search for a specific topic, create your own discussion topic, or post a reply to an existing discussion. If you’ve never used a discussion board before, you can start by reading the directions on creating a discussion topic and the general rules for use (discussing exam questions is prohibited!). Each topic, also known as a thread, is a collection of related posts. Posts are the questions, comments, and messages displayed by students and staff members. The original post is displayed first, and the replies are shown in order from oldest to most recent.

There are many advantages to utilizing the discussion boards, including learning about the other students in your program. It’s not only a place to foster socialization, but may lead to the formation of threads on topics of group interest. Students who are shy and normally wouldn’t reach out to others in a traditional classroom setting have the ability to share their opinions by typing instead of speaking. You can go beyond what is presented in your course materials by referencing other texts you may be reading or asking others about their real life experiences. The discussion boards also help the Blackstone staff make course improvements by monitoring the topics students find challenging or interesting.

The online experience can be interactive and socially engaging, giving you the time to explore your interests and meet students with similar goals—something that a large college lecture may not offer. It is important to use the discussion board while you navigate through your course, posting thoughtful comments to existing threads and challenging yourself to formulate opinions. Continue to clarify your own posts or attempt to help another student summarize their comments so the discussion remains clear and easy to follow. Students can start an opinion poll or a debate on a topic discussed in the course material. Some threads will go off topic, which may be ok if this meets the needs of the group. If the discussion board is utilized properly, it will give you a similar experience to participating in a group conversation in class. Make the most of your time with Blackstone—share your expertise or seek advice, post your opinion or be open to new ideas. Remember that you are never alone as you progress through your studies.

Health Tips for Distance Learners

Distance education students may not have the health concerns that can result from living in close quarters in a dorm room, but as busy adults juggling many responsibilities, it is important for you to safeguard your health. There are many things you can do to stay fit and healthy while still effectively managing your study schedule and meeting the needs of your family and/or employer. Here are some tips that can help you successfully navigate through cold and flu season by maintaining a healthy lifestyle:

• Don’t wait until you are sick to visit the doctor. Schedule regular check-ups with your physician, dentist and other health care providers.

• Wash your hands regularly. You may be tired of hearing this, but hand washing is the most effective way to stop the spread of germs. To properly wash your hands, wet them first with warm running water and then apply soap. Next, lather well and rub vigorously for at least 15 seconds. Be sure to scrub all surfaces, including between your fingers and under your nails. Rinse well and dry with a clean or disposable towel. Finally, turn off the faucet using a towel.

• Regularly sanitize the surfaces of your home including telephones, light switches, keyboards and door knobs. Disinfectant wipes work well for this.

• Eat healthy meals and snacks to provide your body with energy and to fight disease. Don’t skip meals just because you are busy. Keep a small snack with you while you study.

• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. The brain is made up of over 80% water, which is essential to memory function. To monitor how much water you are drinking, fill a large bottle and take it with you wherever you go.

• Make sure you stretch and take a break from your computer. Sitting in a chair for long periods will make you more tired, decrease your circulation and cause tension. A brisk walk can increase your circulation and mobility. This is especially important during your study sessions, since quick breaks can also refresh you.

• Get plenty of sleep. It’s okay to occasionally have a late night, but chronic sleep deprivation can result in an inability to concentrate, memory impairment, and poor physical performance. Try to spread out your studying so that you are not up late after a long day of work.

• Schedule downtime: working too hard can affect your immune system. Participating in hobbies will make you more productive. You can also relax by listening to music, meditating, doing yoga or reading.

• Keep in touch: friends and family are important to helping us feel motivated and happy. Successful relationships can help reduce stress and lead to greater relaxation. Friends and family may also want to hear about your schoolwork and all of the interesting things you are learning.

• Stay organized: you can reduce stress by establishing a schedule and by adhering to it.

• Get a seasonal flu vaccine and H1N1 vaccine if you are eligible.


News, Information and Career Advice	December 2009

Happy Holidays! The Blackstone staff wishes you and your family a happy holiday season and a joyous New Year! So that our staff can enjoy the holidays, our office will close at noon (EST) on Wednesday, December 23 and reopen on Monday, December 28 at 9 a.m. (EST). We will also be closed on New Year’s Day, Friday, January 1. If you have any questions or need assistance, you may contact us via e-mail (info@blackstone.edu) or phone (1-800-826-9228), leave a message, and we will respond as soon as possible when we re-open. Enroll Now Before Tuition Increases! If you have been thinking about enrolling in any of Blackstone’s paralegal or allied health programs to get started on the path to a new career, now is the perfect time! This holiday season, give yourself the gift of education and you will reap the benefits throughout the years. With a tuition increase scheduled for January 4, you can save money by enrolling now. You may be busy planning for the holidays ahead, but you should also be planning for your future. Blackstone courses will prepare you for some of the fastest growing career fields. Paralegals, medical transcriptionists, medical billers and coders, and medical and dental office assistants are all in demand despite the high unemployment figures. You can use the links to the right to learn more about each of our diploma programs. You can also call Blackstone directly and speak to our friendly Student Services staff, toll-free at 1-800-826-9228. Enroll now and take advantage of our low $59 a month payment plan before the tuition increases on January 4! Get More Out of Your Online Education: Connect with Your Fellow Students! As a current or future distance learning student, you have made a critical decision to move forward with your education and expand your career opportunities. Your reasons for choosing online education may have included the freedom to study at your own pace, to fit school around your work schedule, to be home with your family as much as possible, or to complete a program of study not offered locally. Many of our students are just like you—they share similar goals and chose a Blackstone education for similar reasons. Even though you don’t meet your fellow classmates in a traditional setting, you can still learn about them, ask for their advice, and debate important topics with them in Blackstone’s online discussion boards. Each student enrolled at Blackstone has access to the Online Student Center through our Web site, www.blackstone.edu . After creating an account, you have the ability to enter the Discussion Board through your student homepage. You can search for a specific topic, create your own discussion topic, or post a reply to an existing discussion. If you’ve never used a discussion board before, you can start by reading the directions on creating a discussion topic and the general rules for use (discussing exam questions is prohibited!). Each topic, also known as a thread, is a collection of related posts. Posts are the questions, comments, and messages displayed by students and staff members. The original post is displayed first, and the replies are shown in order from oldest to most recent. There are many advantages to utilizing the discussion boards, including learning about the other students in your program. It’s not only a place to foster socialization, but may lead to the formation of threads on topics of group interest. Students who are shy and normally wouldn’t reach out to others in a traditional classroom setting have the ability to share their opinions by typing instead of speaking. You can go beyond what is presented in your course materials by referencing other texts you may be reading or asking others about their real life experiences. The discussion boards also help the Blackstone staff make course improvements by monitoring the topics students find challenging or interesting. The online experience can be interactive and socially engaging, giving you the time to explore your interests and meet students with similar goals—something that a large college lecture may not offer. It is important to use the discussion board while you navigate through your course, posting thoughtful comments to existing threads and challenging yourself to formulate opinions. Continue to clarify your own posts or attempt to help another student summarize their comments so the discussion remains clear and easy to follow. Students can start an opinion poll or a debate on a topic discussed in the course material. Some threads will go off topic, which may be ok if this meets the needs of the group. If the discussion board is utilized properly, it will give you a similar experience to participating in a group conversation in class. Make the most of your time with Blackstone—share your expertise or seek advice, post your opinion or be open to new ideas. Remember that you are never alone as you progress through your studies. Health Tips for Distance Learners Distance education students may not have the health concerns that can result from living in close quarters in a dorm room, but as busy adults juggling many responsibilities, it is important for you to safeguard your health. There are many things you can do to stay fit and healthy while still effectively managing your study schedule and meeting the needs of your family and/or employer. Here are some tips that can help you successfully navigate through cold and flu season by maintaining a healthy lifestyle: • Don’t wait until you are sick to visit the doctor. Schedule regular check-ups with your physician, dentist and other health care providers. • Wash your hands regularly. You may be tired of hearing this, but hand washing is the most effective way to stop the spread of germs. To properly wash your hands, wet them first with warm running water and then apply soap. Next, lather well and rub vigorously for at least 15 seconds. Be sure to scrub all surfaces, including between your fingers and under your nails. Rinse well and dry with a clean or disposable towel. Finally, turn off the faucet using a towel. • Regularly sanitize the surfaces of your home including telephones, light switches, keyboards and door knobs. Disinfectant wipes work well for this. • Eat healthy meals and snacks to provide your body with energy and to fight disease. Don’t skip meals just because you are busy. Keep a small snack with you while you study. • Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. The brain is made up of over 80% water, which is essential to memory function. To monitor how much water you are drinking, fill a large bottle and take it with you wherever you go. • Make sure you stretch and take a break from your computer. Sitting in a chair for long periods will make you more tired, decrease your circulation and cause tension. A brisk walk can increase your circulation and mobility. This is especially important during your study sessions, since quick breaks can also refresh you. • Get plenty of sleep. It’s okay to occasionally have a late night, but chronic sleep deprivation can result in an inability to concentrate, memory impairment, and poor physical performance. Try to spread out your studying so that you are not up late after a long day of work. • Schedule downtime: working too hard can affect your immune system. Participating in hobbies will make you more productive. You can also relax by listening to music, meditating, doing yoga or reading. • Keep in touch: friends and family are important to helping us feel motivated and happy. Successful relationships can help reduce stress and lead to greater relaxation. Friends and family may also want to hear about your schoolwork and all of the interesting things you are learning. • Stay organized: you can reduce stress by establishing a schedule and by adhering to it. • Get a seasonal flu vaccine and H1N1 vaccine if you are eligible.	In This Issue Happy Holidays! Enroll Now Before Tuition Increases! Get More Out of Your Online Education: Connect with Your Fellow Students! Health Tips for Distance Learners! More News from Blackstone For more news from Blackstone as well as an archive of recent news items, visit our web site. Join Our Community Join Blackstone’s new Facebook group and connect with fellow students, alumni and prospective students! If you are not already a Facebook member, join now. Did You Know? Celebrating the New Year is one of the oldest of all holiday traditions, dating back 4000 years to the ancient Babylonian culture. But back then the holiday was associated with the first day of spring, the season of rebirth, and the Babylonians celebrated for 11 days! The Romans also observed the New Year in March until 153 BC when the Roman senate declared January 1 to be the start of the New Year. During the Middle Ages, the Church banned the celebration of New Year’s, condemning the festivities as paganism. Western nations have only been celebrating the holiday for about 400 years. Making New Year’s resolutions has been a part of the holiday tradition since ancient times; however, the early Babylonians’ most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment! It was the ancient Greeks who introduced the tradition of using a baby to symbolize the New Year. The Greeks would parade a baby in a basket in tribute to the god of wine, Dionysus, who was the spirit of fertility. Other New Year’s traditions are associated with the belief that whatever someone does or eats on the first day of the year will affect their luck throughout the year. Some cultures believe that eating anything shaped like a ring will bring good luck, symbolizing “coming full circle.” That’s why the Dutch eat donuts on New Year’s. Other foods associated with good luck or prosperity are legumes, pork, cabbage, and rice. Americans have been celebrating the holiday since 1886 with the Tournament of Roses Parade, which began to mark the ripening of the orange crop in California. The Rose Bowl football game was first held in 1902, although it was replaced with Roman Chariot races for several years after that! However you and your family choose to celebrate the upcoming holidays and New Year, the staff of Blackstone wishes all of you happiness, health and success throughout 2010! For Your Information Want to learn more about Blackstone programs? Use the links below to explore BCI’s career programs and continuing education opportunities: Legal Assistant/Paralegal Medical Transcription Medical Billing & Coding Medical Office Assistant Dental Office Assistant Advanced Legal Courses Professional and Personal Development Online Professional and Personal Development Courses Frequently Asked Questions Visit our FAQs page to learn more about enrolling in any of our programs. If you have additional questions, contact our friendly staff at info@blackstone.edu. Enroll Now Ready to enroll right now in a Blackstone program? Go directly to our online enrollment form. Pass It Along Know anyone who might be interested in our newsletter? Click here to forward this email to up to 5 friends at once.

Happy Holidays!

Enroll Now Before Tuition Increases!

Get More Out of Your Online Education: Connect with Your Fellow Students!

Health Tips for Distance Learners

In This Issue

More News from Blackstone

Join Our Community

Did You Know?

For Your Information

Online Professional and Personal Development Courses

Frequently Asked Questions

Enroll Now

Pass It Along