Karen’s Opinion

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Ashworth College. All opinions are 100% mine.

As a young mother, I often questioned my purpose on earth. Overwhelming demands of my time stressed me to wonder what on earth I was doing. Now that my kids are grown, I feel somewhat confident, because my kids tell me I was a great mom. During that stressful time, I found that when I did something for myself, I felt better about my situation as a whole. I found time to take interior design courses that not only helped me in our business but made me feel like an adult with purpose.

Thirty years later, it seems easier to get an education or even take courses towards an Online degree. There are so many subjects to study that most anyone can find something of interest. Just think what a good example is set when your children see you reading and studying. They see that a mind is valuable and will want to set their own goals as high as you have.

A great example of schools that go out of their way to make education possible for everyone is Ashworth College. They offer the flexibility of studying at home while you care for your kids. They are affordable and offer payment plans. They offer more than 100+ nationally accredited career diplomas. That means they have something for you!

This post was sponsored by Sears however, all the opinions are mine!

Can you believe that it is almost time for school to start again this year? It seems as if summer just began. I suppose, because our summer was so erratic, weather wise, it doesn’t really seem as if we had a typical summer. I have heard some grumbling about unused swimming pools and picnics ruined because of all our rain.

Nonetheless, school is starting so everyone needs to get prepared. College students today have the latest technology when it comes to being
CampusReady. Items needed for college are very expensive these days and we all must check things out before we spend our hard earned money. At Sears.com you can enter for your chance to win money toward your child’s college tuition from Sears and Upromise! A total of $25,000 will be awarded. Got to sears.com/campusready for more information.

Sears understands the need to make good choices for your student and has set up a helpful site, Sears Campus Ready. This website will help with many aspects of getting ready for college which include:
* Shop by dorm room
* Suite of coordinating dorm room products and design ideas
* Shopping checklist
* List of everything your child will need for their first home away from home
* Financial tips
* Financial planning tips
* Apparel must haves
* Links to categories of clothing they’ll need for college life

Sears has also created a Facebook application called CampusReady on Facebook to help ensure your college freshman has an easy transition into the college arena. It features a gift getter where your child can choose what he or she needs and let their friends and family put money towards financing it. This is a good idea for family and friends to do instead of a useless gift for graduation.

The website has a Dorm Room Designer function that lets them design their dorm room virtually! Wow! I tried it and it was so much fun to design my dorm room. The site also offers a Roommate Matchup that lets them check their compatibility with a roommate.

Sears has our best interests at heart! Check out all the helps to ensure your student is Campus Ready!

If there is one thing I have learned from having two adult children, it is that college is expensive and I am not just talking about books and tuition fees. Most students find it difficult to hold down a job and do well in their studies. That means they have to watch where what little money they have goes. We hear the jokes about eating Ramen noodle soup 7 days a week and counting the number of squares of toilet paper used. It would be more funny if it weren’t true. Being a college student is rough.

Sears is stepping up to the plate to make it easier for parents and grandparents to help their struggling students out. By offering reload-able gift cards, available for purchase in their stores, Sears makes it convenient to add funds online to a students gift card. The student is then able to buy needed supplies such as toiletries and Ramen noodles at Sears and Kmart. You will be amazed at all the dorm room supplies available at sears.com/campus. If you are new to the college experience or simply want to be in the know about what college kids need these days to make their college experience successful check out Sears CampusReady at http://www.facebook.com/campusready. I had a great time designing my dorm room at CampusReady on Facebook!

I just have a problem with eating all that Ramen Noodle soup! LOL

When my son was in college, I enjoyed going to the Spring Fling that was held each year. The talent of the kids was amazing. Here is one such talent, although not from my son’s school. Enjoy!