Save money or not?
Did anyone notice the contradiction in the article about money management and students (Notes, November 12, 2006)?

The chair of accounting and finance at AUS (American University of Sharjah) was quoted as saying: "No one is expecting you to save money as a student, but all students can manage their money properly to control their finances."

However, an assistant professor of marketing at AUS, made her number one budgeting tip: "Set aside some money every week for savings."

Which of these two experts is truly providing the wiser counsel to students. After all, failing to save money is neither proper money management nor controlling finances.

Additionally, if "no one expects" students to save money, then we can all expect that they won't. Students often rise to the level of the expectations of their teachers. Listen to the assistant professor!
- A Reader

Examine yourself
As you trek through a year in the campus jungle, the end comes teasingly close? But then, just when you dare to imagine your success of scraping through battered and bruised - but alive - you suddenly see yourself slapped with exams.

The fact is that each one of us campus adventurers must ultimately face up to examinations. The question is: 'How do we endure them?'

The first step is to step out of denial and to surrender to reality. Exams will come and by making this a constant recitation to yourself, you prepare yourself at the very onset to endure rather than evade the exam.

The worse thing you could do is to ignore exams, only to have them collapse upon you, unaware and unprepared.

Our unique style
We each boast of our own styles and techniques and therefore must pay respect to ourselves and evolve a style that would guarantee us our success or a pass at least!

Remember, adopting another person's apparently successful methods will not always work for you. Study guides and mentors can preach practices in plenty but ultimately, it is you who will do the exam.

So learn more about yourself, before finally teaching yourself to learn!Engage in trial and error. Pick an environment that is conducive to your learning process.

Carve out a timetable and organise yourself. Monitor your progress and perhaps take a couple of self-evaluation studies to note which style of studying best suits you.

Either take notes, scribble symbols, re-read, assimilate ... . The process of learning should not be reduced to a mind-numbing, mechanical routine.

Instead, actively appreciating your situation and studying the 'self' that makes you, will surely get you out of the jungle.

Studying for exams, therefore, begins and ends with you. Examine yourself, before you are examined!
- Ali Abbas
Toronto, Canada

All about me
Hola! My name is Simran. I am 9 years old. I study at the Victoria English School, Sharjah. I am from India. I have one brother and no sister and my brother's name is Saif. My favourite movie is Mine, Yours and Ours.

My favourite sport is swimming and ice skating. At home I have pets; they are two dogs, one parrot and six birds.
- Simran
Grade 5, Victoria English School, Sharjah

Career options for a BBA
I am studying BBA (first year) from an Indian university here in the UAE. I have been born, brought up and have completed my higher secondary studies here.

I am doing a part-time job as market researcher over here. How can I develop my career and which jobs can I opt for?
- Sahni Shimu

BBA graduates have many options to choose from after completing their degree programme.

But the most preferred choice is an MBA or a Master of Business Administration. It is a two-year postgraduation programme in management studies.

An MBA from a reputed institute is commonly accepted as a passport to a successful career.

Credibility, confidence, a big-picture perspective, appreciation for other points of view - that's what MBA degree holders say when asked what the degree has done for them.

More than any other factor, an MBA is about moving up - in your original field or on to another.

Then there's the benefit many MBAs don't talk about; they make more money. The number of doors that open for a competent MBA is unlimited.

All those challenging and rewarding opportunities that were near impossible to get, become possible. The sky is the limit for a good MBA degree holder.

So, that exactly fits into your expectation from a career.
Next step is about doing the MBA.

Selection of Business Schools:

One can select on the basis of:

  • Standing of the institution in the industry;
  • Infrastructure like library and computer labs;
  • Placement record of the institute;
  • Performance of the alumni;
  • Recognition by a competent authority;
  • Academic and professional competence of the faculty etc.

Kindly do a well-rounded research of all the following institutes to choose an MBA programme that suits your requirement.

Dubai-based Institutes:

Distance learning options
I would like to get some information about distance learning education. I am working as a secretary and would like to do some courses to improve myself.

I passed my graduation from Peshawar University in Pakistan. Can I take admission in an Indian university through a distance learning education option.
- R.A. Khan

You can take admission in any of the distance education universities from India after providing a certificate of equivalency.

The term equivalence means that studies undertaken in foreign institutions of education or degrees/diplomas obtained are regarded as equivalent to studies/degrees obtained in local educational institutions.

To find similar and identical systems of education in various countries is very difficult but when equivalence is established the term implies that there is a reasonable measure of similarity and commonality between the two systems of education and equivalence and recognition entitles its holder to all rights enjoyed by those who have successfully completed their degrees locally.

For more details log on to: http://www.hec.gov.pk/

Indian distance education universities are:

- The higher education responses have been provided by Subramanian K., head of the Dubai branch of Career Launcher, one of India's largest education companies

Editor's PICK

Accommodating visually impaired students in higher education
Defining 'special needs' including visual impairment, specific difficulties such as dyslexia and autism and such mental health issues such as schizophrenia and the psychiatrically vulnerable, the term is a fairly loose one covering a panoply of conditions.

The assistance modern universities can offer, should and usually does include access, in multiple formats, to specific learning support, technological support, as well as practical and physical support that is required but may often be overlooked.

Basically, universities should be prepared to receive students whose needs are different; the word 'normal' is not helpful here.

Simple measures
Adapting teaching strategies and the learning environment includes simple yet effective measures such as not moving furniture, providing material in advance, as well as giving thought to verbal and non-verbal communication, allowing visually impaired students more time to complete tasks, and allowing students to tape lectures.

Specific advice to teachers includes explaining visuals, speaking loudly and clearly, getting to know students - remember every student's needs vary - and promoting independent learning, which many students actively seek.

Simple yet effective practical measures when making information accessible to students include the simple expedients of using fonts that are both clear and large enough (14 minimum), regular spacing of words, with dark against light contrast, but avoiding word wrapping or word art or anything that will impede students' ability to interact with materials.

Ensuring that every student has an email address, while providing text equivalents in more visual ways was also mentioned, as well as taking care with file names and subject content in email messages.

Technical support such as programmes that read on-screen text verbally (JAWS, HAL) is useful for visually impaired students and there are organisations that can provide such help: NATTIQ based in Sharjah is one in the UAE.

Other support is available in the form of talking mobile phones, Braille notepads, and low-tech solutions such as magnifying glasses, and well lit and brightly decorated classrooms - even students designated as visually impaired benefit from this last measure.

Examinations
Lastly, and dealing with examinations for visually impaired students in particular, although international examining boards do not allow the use of screen readers, provision of enlarged print in exam texts, tapes and Braille readers can be accommodated, and additional time allowed to complete tests and exams.

All educationalists should appreciate that a student must find such ordeals extremely tiring, but empathy and understanding, rather than pity should be our watchwords when teaching students who have needs that differ from other students in our classrooms.
- Robert Fielding
English lecturer , UAE University

- References
Special Teaching in Higher Education, Breaking Down Barriers: Access to Further and Higher Education for Visually Impaired Learners