Your Future is Calling

A Practical and Personal Guide to Getting the Future You Desire and Deserve

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Your Future is Calling

Today a college education is a necessity for most careers — but college has never been so out of reach. We're professionals in higher education who are committed to helping more people get their college degrees.

Your Future is Calling is a practical guide for getting the future you desire. Each chapter is filled with practical advice that you can use today. And this information is offered to you FREE.

Career + Education -> Your Future

Chapter 1Career + Education ➞ Your Future

There's a lot of talk today about whether "College is Worth it." If you go by national data, a college degree is definitely "worth it." But whether it's a good investment for YOU depends on some key concepts. This chapter talks about those concepts and gives you the advice you need to assure that college is "worth it" for you.

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Is a College Degree Worth It?

Chapter 2Is a College Degree Worth It?

Most American understand that a college degree holds the promise of a future filled with more options and enjoyment. What's holding you back? This chapter helps you get on a path toward creating your bright future.

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Envision Your Future

Chapter 3Envision Your Future

This is the vital first step. You know the old saying, "When you don't know where you're going, any road will do." Where do you see yourself in a few years? This chapter will help you create a powerful and concrete vision of your future. It's filled with resources that help you define where you want to be and how you can get there.

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You Have Competition for the Career You Want

Chapter 4You Have Competition for the Career You Want

If you are among the nearly 40 million adult learners in the US who have quit school without completing your degree, this chapter gives you the inspiration and sources of support you may need to get back on your path.

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Finish Your Degree? Why Bother?

Chapter 5Finish Your Degree? Why Bother?

College graduates earn, on average, more than $1 million more than high school graduates over a lifetime of earnings. But there are many more important reasons to earn your degree.

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You Can Do This

Chapter 6You Can Do This

If you're an adult learner interested in returning to school, you face many obstacles and distractions. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to face these obstacles. Find out more in this chapter.

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How to Pick the Right Career for You.

Chapter 7How to Pick the Right Career for You

How to make the most of your time and money. Selecting a career that fits who you are but also matches what hiring managers care about.

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Where the jobs are – Today and Tomorrow

Chapter 8Where the jobs are — Today and Tomorrow

Everything you ever wanted to know about careers you are considering:
What's it like to work in the career day to day? What is the demand for professionals in the career — growing or declining? How much do people in this career make? What education is needed to get into that career? This chapter gives you answers to all these questions and more.

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How to Pick the Right School

Chapter 9How to Pick the Right School

There are schools that do a good job of serving adults and others that do not. There are schools that charge twice as much (or more!) for comparable education as others. There are schools that don't offer the education you need to get into the career you want. Here's how pick the right school to achieve your future vision.

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What Quality Means in College

Chapter 10What Quality Means in College

There are many college rankings published — and the criteria for them vary by the publisher. But generally, colleges view quality on the basis of acceptance rate and graduation rate. Both are easily found for any college you're considering.

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How to Pay for College

Chapter 12How to Pay for College

There's more funding available for college than you might think, starting with the fact that most tuition is negotiable. This chapter gives you the insider information you need to afford college.

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Especially for Veterans

Chapter 13Especially for Veterans

Veterans deservedly have access to funding for education. But many don't know how to link the skills they learned in military service to corporate civilian job requirements. This chapter covers how to translate military training into corporate expertise and more.

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Innovations in Higher Education - What's New

Chapter 14Innovations in Higher Education — What's New

The concern about the cost of education has led to new developments that make college-level learning more accessible. These include MOOCs (massive open online courses) and Khan Academy (a study resource that helps you master concepts.) Both are free. This chapter discusses these developments and how best to use them.

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Innovations in Higher Education - What's New

Chapter 15Stay the Course

Even the best-intentioned of us can allow daily life to overwhelm our desires for something better. Here are some suggestions for keeping your goal of a future you desire in view.

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Mike Echols

More About US

We are education professionals committed to giving learners the information, tools, and resources they need to complete their education and enter the career they envision for a fulfilling future.

The author of these chapters is Mike Echols. He currently works for a large private university, where he heads up an innovations team focused on helping adult learners complete their degrees. He is nationally known as an innovative thinker in education and has received numerous accolades for his books and articles.

Mike was the first member of his family to attend college. He earned his bachelor's degree from Carnegie Mellon University, an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley.

After spending more than 20 years in education, Mike wants to share what he has learned about the way post-secondary education operates and how to relate education to a successful and fulfilling future. His insight and approach are unique in education today. He offers practical advice and tips that work.

From a Reader:

It was a long time ago and a whole life of changes since I first went to college at 18. I did start with the school I wanted to go to, then pretty much took what they offered — rather than what I should have taken to give me the life I want. That's probably why I left. Your Future is Calling put me back on track.