10 Most Bike Friendly Campuses Across America

May is National Bike Month, and we’re totally on board, even as the month wraps up. Biking is such a fun, healthy way to get around campus, and these days, so many colleges are making it a super convenient option. With extensive bike racks, maintenance shops, and even bike rentals, lots of schools are taking great steps to encourage biking on campus. The League of American Bicyclists recently announced their second annual Bike Friendly University awards, and we’re so inspired by the incredible amenities and resources that these top-notch biking schools have to offer. Read on, and we’ll explore what these schools have done to become havens of college biking.

1. Stanford University:

   Topping off the League of American Bicyclists’ list is Stanford University, the very first university to be named a Platinum Bicycle Friendly Campus, and currently the only one to hold this rank. The honor is well deserved, as Stanford boasts an amazing list of bike-friendly achievements. More than 21% of the university community bikes daily, and it’s easy to understand why: Stanford makes it incredibly easy to bike, on campus and off. They’ve created a Commute Buddy program that pairs experienced bike commuters with newbies who need help getting started, the campus offers access to showers and lockers for bikers, and there’s even a free bike safety class held twice a month. Plus, visiting alumni can enjoy two-wheeling as well, with free bike use offered for former students.

2. University of California, Davis:

   One of two UC schools in the top 10, University of California, Davis is an incredible place to be if you’re a bike-loving student. Although Stanford took top honors, UC’s numbers blow them out of the water: 45% of UCD’s students, faculty, and staff have a bike on campus each day, compared to Stanford’s 21%. UC Davis encourages these numbers by providing a staggering amount of resources for bicyclists: services include bike classes, DIY bike repair and maintenance, summer bike storage, commuter showers and lockers, and even maps and directions created just for campus bikers. But Davis isn’t just providing practical bike love; they’ve embraced the history and art of biking as well with the Pierce Miller Bicycle Collection, an exhibit of vintage bicycles that is the core of what will eventually become a major bicycle museum. Off campus, the city of Davis, Calif., is recognized as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world, with more than 100 miles of bike lanes and paths, designated lanes and signals, and local bike maps.

3. University of California, Santa Barbara:

   At UCSB, almost half of the student body bikes to school. Really. With 49% of students, and 9% of faculty and staff commuting by bike, it’s clear this campus has a lot of bicycle support. UCSB takes care of their legion of bikers with enough secure bike racks and parking spaces to accommodate each one of them, as well as bicycle lockers, free showers and clothes lockers (including towel service), and several bicycle roundabouts. The university has clearly made an ongoing investment in the future of campus biking with infrastructure offerings including 10 miles of Class I bicycle paths, and freely distributed bike maps showing these campus paths as well as a Santa Barbara County bike map. The UCSB campus is home to the Associated Students Bike Shop, where campus bikers can find repair and maintenance services to keep them on the road safely.

4. Boise State University:

   Boise State has been hard at work to create programs that support campus bicycling, including repair services, parking, and maps. They’ve created a Cycle Learning Center, where students can find information, instructional clinics, as well as bike repair services. There are plenty of places to park bikes on campus, with many bike racks and bike barns operating in a variety of different locations, plus showers, lockers, towels, and free compressed air stations. The university doesn’t just make it easy to make biking a part of the daily commute, though: they also offer bike-friendly services for special events with a bike corral for football fans riding to Bronco Stadium. Boise State is also working to further the future of bike transportation, hosting a Community Bicycle Congress since 2004 to offer an open forum for bicycle knowledge, research, and progress.

5. California State Long Beach:

   California State University, Long Beach is in the perfect climate for biking, with manageable temperatures, flat terrain, and low rainfall. But beyond this natural advantage, the university encourages biking on and off campus with a wealth of resources. Rideshare @ The Beach boasts events including weekly rides, scavenger hunts, bike checks, and traffic skills courses. Plus, Rideshare boasts a $1 million annual fund devoted to supporting not just these events, but infrastructure, services, and other resources that support the needs of CSULB cyclists. Cyclists who commute by bike also enjoy special perks like a $1/day reward point for cycling that can be turned into bike shop gift cards.

6. Colorado State University:

   Colorado State University has a long history of supporting biking on campus, so their BFU Silver award is no surprise. A large part of the CSU population uses biking as a primary means of transportation, with 36% of students, 25% of faculty, and 15% of staff commuting by bike on a regular day. CSU estimates that there are about 15,000 bikes on campus each day. This is made easy thanks to the CSU Campus Bicycle Advisory Committee, which works to make sure that the needs of cyclists are met with every new development and rule on campus. Along with the CBAC, CSU has invested greatly in biking infrastructure, including a recent six-figure installation of new campus bike racks. Of course, this bike-friendly attitude is just an extension of the overall situation in the city of Fort Collins, which has long been recognized as one of the nation’s most bike-friendly communities.

7. Georgia Institute of Technology:

   Georgia Tech does so much to make biking a viable commuting option for its community. The Bike GT resource is home to resources and programs including advocacy, the StarterBikes co-op, viaCycle bike sharing network, and a Bicycle Infrastructure Improvement Committee tasked with improving bike infrastructure on the Georgia Tech campus. Plus, Bike GT hosts Bike Week, a celebration of biking on campus that encourages everyone in the community to ride their bikes to and around campus, including fun events like a music video, bike fashion show, and a social ride.

8. Northern Arizona University:

   Northern Arizona University has provided immense support of cycling culture on campus. Perhaps most impressive is the university’s Yellow Bike program, which offers students, faculty, and staff an absolutely free bike to borrow along with a helmet and bike lock, making it dumbfoundingly easy to bike on campus. In addition to this great program, NAU has bike registration, public air hoses, locker storage, and recently improved bike pathways to facilitate cyclist transportation. Plus, they have fun biking events including bike-in movies and bike-in tailgating.

9. Oregon State University:

   Oregon State University’s status as a bike friendly university has a lot to do with its home, the city of Corvallis. This college town is known as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in America, second only to Davis, Calif. The city has an astonishing bike lane infrastructure: 97% of its streets have bike lanes, and by percentage, more people take trips by bike in Corvallis than any other Oregon city. It’s no wonder that this culture has spread to OSU, with 30% of students biking to campus. Bikers at OSU can take advantage of amenities including used bikes for sale in the university’s surplus property, free bike repair, bike maps, and plenty of lockers for storage.

10. Portland State University:

    PSU has done a lot to make commuting by bike as easy and affordable as possible. With extensive bike parking facilities and the PSU Bike Hub repair shop, they’ve gone a long way to making their campus bike-friendly. There are plenty of free maps, changing stalls, lockers, and repair resources sprinkled around campus, and students can even rent a bike for just $45 per term through the VikeBikes program. They’ve recently launched a campaign to encourage even more biking at PSU with the Bike2PSU Challenge, creating competitive biking teams, workshops, prizes, and more.

Taken From Best Colleges Online

8 Ways Schools Can Stop Bullying

Bullying is an epidemic that starts from a young age and continues into adulthood. What was once considered a harmless part of growing up and a rite of passage is now being viewed as a very serious problem that causes lifelong emotional distress to victims. Bullying occurs most often at school, where students are teased and threatened in front of their peers. Victims of school bullying report feeling unsafe and uncomfortable at school and often have trouble focusing on their schoolwork. Now more than ever, schools are taking a stand to address bullying and develop new ways to stop the harassment before it starts. With these eight tips, more schools can join the movement to stop bullying and make our schools safer.

1. Form safety teams:

   

   Bully prevention is a team effort and schools can better address these issues when they form a safety team composed of various school figures. If schools were to design their safety teams after those required by New Jersey’s Anti-bullying Bill of Rights, they would include the school principal, a teacher, a parent of a student, and other members appointed by the principal. Together, the safety team works to foster a positive, bully-free environment, while addressing all incidents of harassment and bullying.

2. Get students involved:

   

   From the bus to the hallways to Facebook, kids see bullying everywhere. Students may witness bullying and know it is wrong, but they are often too afraid to intervene or tell an adult because they don’t want to look like a rat or be the next victim. It’s important for schools to get students involved in all aspects of bullying prevention and teach them the difference between telling and tattling. The sooner a student reports bullying, the sooner adults can step in to stop it. Bullies and their victims can benefit greatly from talking to someone their own age and the details they disclose to their peers will help school members, parents, and law enforcement better address the problem.

3. Educate students on bullying and bullying laws:

   

   In order for students to truly understand what constitutes bullying, how it harms others, and what the consequences are for this behavior, schools need to educate students at a young age. It’s important for schools to teach students about bullying and how that behavior hurts others. They should reinforce the rules of the school and teach students that bullying will not be tolerated in any form. Considering the increase in the number of suicides and deaths caused by bullying over the past few years, it may also be beneficial to educate students on state bullying laws and punishments.

4. Increase adult supervision:

   

   Bullying often takes place outside of the classroom and in front of peers. Hallways, buses, and locker rooms are common areas for bullying because there are fewer adults on guard. Schools can help deter bullying by increasing the amount of teachers and adult supervisors in these bullying hotspots. These individuals should be vigilant and pay close attention to students’ behaviors and intervene when they see fit. Increasing adult supervision around schools will help teachers and staff stop bullying as it is happening and hopefully prevent it from occurring again.

5. Change the climate and culture of the school:

   

   To stop bullying, schools need to get to the root of the problem and it often begins with addressing the school climate and culture. Schools may need to interview students or give anonymous questionnaires to students, teachers, and staff to see when, where, and how often bullying occurs in the school. Another way schools can change their climate and culture is to reinforce academic achievement and involvement in sports, clubs, and other school groups.

6. Make early interventions:

   

   Bullying may start with a rumor or name calling and escalate to violence in no time. Schools don’t always know when and how often bullying occurs, but as soon as it’s brought to their attention, action must be taken. Schools can help resolve bullying incidents and deter it from happening again by making early interventions. Early intervention begins in the classroom. Teachers can teach specific skills and values to students to nurture self-respect and respecting others. This also includes teaching problem-solving, conflict resolution, and peer mediation. Even before bullying occurs, schools should make early interventions by holding parent meetings and getting them involved in their children’s education both at school and at home.

7. Use consequences to teach:

   

   Studies show that zero tolerance strategies just don’t work for bullying. Rather than using a "three strikes, you’re out" approach or suspending or expelling students, schools can use consequences to teach students who engage in bullying. According to the federal website, Stopbullying.gov, schools can turn a negative situation into a positive one by using consequences that foster learning and building empathy. For instance, teachers can lead class discussions about how to be a good friend, read books about bullying, do a project about bullying, and give a presentation about the effects of gossip and how to respect one another.

8. Notice and praise acts of kindness:

   

   To improve school climate and deter bullying, schools should make an effort to notice and praise acts of kindness. When students demonstrate what it means to be a good friend and show respect for their peers, teachers and faculty members should take notice and make it known to others. When students see their peers being praised, they may be more likely to model this behavior and not bully.

Taken From Online Classes

20 Big Reasons Study Abroad Should Be Required Today

Studying abroad is a great way to find growth, career inspiration, and great experiences, but so many students today don’t get to experience this type of learning. In fact, only 1% of all students enrolled in higher education institutions today choose to study abroad. The cost of travel, fear, and an unwillingness to miss out on precious time at school are major reasons why so many students never go overseas for education, but we’d like to see students overcome these obstacles and enjoy the benefits of learning in another country. Read on to learn why studying abroad is such an important experience, and why many believe that study abroad programs should be required for higher education students today.

1. There’s no better way to learn a language:

   Students today need to be linguistically and culturally competent enough to meet the international demands of business, government, and other institutions. But colleges are struggling to graduate students that can keep up. With a study abroad experience, students are immersed in a new language, and forced to quickly adapt and learn how to communicate, a skill that is highly useful in a variety of situations back home.

2. Students become more creative:

   Whether it’s through entrepreneurship, science, or art, creativity and ingenuity are valuable skills for students to develop, and a great way to do just that is to travel abroad. According to the American Psychological Association, living abroad increases a student’s ability to be more creative.

3. It’s a great way to discover new strengths:

   Studying abroad presents students with new situations on a regular basis, offering opportunities for learning new skills, solving problems, and resolving challenges that may not have been experienced at home. This experience can help students become more adaptable to new situations when they came home.

4. Study abroad students are simply more employable:

   Research from GO GLOBAL! indicates that nearly every time, students with study abroad experience will be hired over those who have not gone abroad. This is especially true for students pursuing careers in business. Employers can appreciate that students have taken the extra step to not just travel abroad, but to study in another country, learning a new language, culture, and way of life.

5. They get promoted faster, too:

   Students who not only study abroad, but work abroad, have a major advantage over their peers. A Forbes article indicates that candidates with foreign experience in China and Brazil get a major boost when it comes to promotion, as much as a year or two faster on the promotion track.

6. The State Department desperately needs candidates with study abroad experience:

   Study abroad programs offer Americans benefits in the form of experience and language skills, skills that can be put to use for national security in the State Department. Although the State Department has programs to help fill this need, an uptick in students who have studied abroad would offer a much better pool of applicants to choose from.

7. Medical students can study new illnesses:

   Students with international clinical rotation are exposed to illnesses and clinical presentations that they just don’t get access to in their own schools. This is incredibly helpful for public health in the case of pandemics, rare diseases, and unusual presentations.

8. Improved communication skills:

   Studying abroad isn’t just useful for developing language learning; it’s a great way to improve communication skills in general. As students navigate daily life in a foreign country, they learn how to bridge the gap between the communication they’re used to and the way native speakers communicate with one another. This experience is incredibly helpful for learning how to communicate across different cultures, at home and abroad.

9. A break from academic routine:

   After a couple years in college, some students may feel like they’re stuck in a rut and would welcome a break from daily college life. Some leave to take this break and never come back. But taking a break in the form of studying abroad could prove to be a welcome change from the routine of regular college, keeping students engaged and interested in education instead of becoming burnt out.

10. Operating outside of defined comfort zones:

    At home, students may not have the chance to take many classes outside of their area of study, but studying abroad can present this type of opportunity. Studying a new subject or developing a new skill can be scary, but it builds character and makes students more willing to take on new challenges, a skill that is incredibly valuable in the workplace and in life.

11. Developing lifelong learning:

    Lifelong learning has a host of benefits, supporting a curious, hungry mind. Studying abroad is a great way to spark a love of full-time learning. When traveling outside of their home country, students learn that even mundane experiences like grocery shopping can become educational, and visits to museums and cultural sites are seen for their true value. As these students come home, they may find that their thirst for knowledge has grown and want to spend more time exploring educational activities in their own communities.

12. Studying abroad fosters independence:

    So many students today are the product of helicopter parenting, households in which students are often too sheltered and taken care of to learn how to embrace independence. Studying abroad offers an opportunity for students to develop this independence and learn how to take care of themselves as they see just how much they can do on their own, in a foreign country no less.

13. Study abroad is a training ground for future global leaders:

    Study abroad education fosters growth and attitudes that are respectful of all countries, not just a student’s home country. According to IES Abroad, one of the goals of study abroad is to create future global leaders who are "willing to take a stand for the world’s welfare, not just what benefits a specific country." This eye-opening experience can help create a world of mutual global respect.

14. Study abroad offers a lesson in red tape:

    Every young adult can benefit from a lesson in dealing with the intricacies of red tape and administration, which they will almost certainly experience in their adult and working lives. Applying for study abroad scholarships, visas, foreign degree certifications, and more can offer an opportunity for learning to work through difficult administrative situations while still having access to helpful resources like parents and school administrators.

15. An expanded worldview:

    You can read books, study photographs, listen to music, and even video-conference with people across the world, but there’s just no substitute for actually being there. Students who study abroad can become more open-minded to the world with an insider’s perspective on another country. TransitionsAbroad.com indicated that nearly every student they surveyed, 98%, said that studying abroad helped them to better understand cultural views and biases.

16. International networking:

    Those who study abroad with students from other countries are bound to make friends along the way. Many students with study abroad experience report creating international friendships that have lasted for decades. As they create friendships with fellow international students, and even locals, study abroad participants are creating networking opportunities around the world.

17. A refined view of the future:

    It is not at all uncommon for students to change their major or take a new career direction after studying abroad. The experience allows students to get a new perspective on how the world works, while also discovering new interests and skills that might be better utilized in studies and work that are a bit different than what they originally set out to do.

18. Better social skills:

    Many students have spent their entire academic lives surrounded by other students and friends that they’ve known for years. But in a foreign country, you know almost no one, and are forced to make new friends. This skill is incredibly valuable when it comes time to join the workforce, learn how to network, and collaborate with new people in the workplace.

19. A new perspective on domestic issues:

    The country you live in isn’t the only one with great ideas, but sometimes it can be difficult to get exposed to the insight of different countries. Studying abroad allows students to get an understanding of how other countries are dealing with issues like energy and economics, knowledge that can be put to work back home.

20. Studying abroad improves educational outcomes:

    The Georgia Learning Outcomes of Students Studying Abroad Research Initiative has discovered that studying abroad, thought by some to be a distraction, is quite good for educational outcomes. They’ve found that students who study abroad perform better academically upon their return, and tend to graduate at higher rates than their peers who have not studied in another country. Requiring study abroad experiences could be a great way to help retain and improve educational outcomes for at-risk students.

Taken From Online Universities

The Top 12 U.S. Cities for Creative Grads

With a new degree in hand, and the economy up in the air, planning your post-college life is bound to be a little nerve wracking, especially as a creative grad. But the good news is that the job market for creative professionals is on its way up, and there are several centers of creative commerce ready to welcome creative grads with open arms. Some have a long-standing tradition of supporting creativity, while others are surprisingly new creative hubs with lots of opportunity for growth. Whatever the situation, any of these 12 cities, listed in no particular order, are worth considering if you’re a new creative graduate.

1. Boston: Boston is a great place for recent college grads, period, not just creative ones. Recent college graduates in the area enjoy an average salary of $63,000, a figure that’s 15% higher than the nationwide average. Consulting and venture capital are major industries, a great indicator that creative startups can really thrive here. Perhaps that’s why so many new startups we hear about are coming from recent Harvard or MIT grads, and the city seems to be dominated by the creative class. Plus, Boston boasts a 5.8% unemployment rate, way below the national 8.2%. Creative young Bostonians would do well to check out the area of Route 128, renowned as “the Magic Semicircle” for its high-tech way of life.
2. Houston: With a low cost of living and an established non-profit and arts scene that’s been thriving for decades, you might actually be able to find a creative job here. Houston is one of the few cities that has been largely unaffected by the volatile national job market, and was recently ranked as the No. 1 city for job-hunting new grads. Houston is also ranked high for affordability, coming in as the sixth most affordable city in a Travel and Leisure survey. Boasting fun festivals like the Art Car Parade, International Festival, major art museums, a top-tier symphony, and a small army of ethnic restaurants, Houston is clearly a hub of all things cultural with an economy to back it up.
3. New York: New York is a rough town to start your adult life in, but even with that in mind, the sheer amount of resources and opportunities available to recent grads in the city is just too amazing to pass up. NYC is well known as a world center for the creative arts, with a huge artistic economy. New York’s Lincoln Center alone generates more than $1.52 billion in sales and employs 15,200 creative workers. Although it’s certainly easy to fail miserably in this expensive city, there is a huge potential for hitting it big as well. According to Gotham Gazette, New York creatives who have made it are doing quite well: “the top quarter of most creative groups earned as much or more than the top quarter of New York City workers as a whole.” Resources like NY Creative Interns also offer lots of help to new creative grads making their debut in the Big Apple.
4. Santa Fe, N.M.: Although Santa Fe isn’t typically regarded as a thriving young town, it’s hard to pass up its incredible creative culture and resource. This city has slam-dunked it in terms of attracting and retaining creatives, with a well-established history of creative tourism. Naturally, Santa Fe has been named the third largest art market in the U.S., and was even added as an UNESCO City of Design, Crafts, and Folk Art, the only U.S. city in this category. Santa Fe supports creative development with the Santa Fe Business Incubator, a small business development center that is considered to be one of the best of its kind in the nation. In addition to countless opportunities for creatives, Santa Fe is just an all-around nice place to live, with a great showing in the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, particularly in health categories.
5. Los Angeles: LA is a world capital of creativity with a thriving economy in the arts; creative industries in the area generate almost a million jobs and over $100 billion in sales revenue. Like New York, LA is a tough town to make it big in, but its status as an industry center largely makes up for that. One in every six jobs in LA is in a creative industry, and we like those odds. Plus, the city’s location in between the startup hubs of Silicon Valley and San Diego makes it a great place to launch your creative career.
6. Seattle, Wash.: Seattle is a great city for artists, geeks, and artists who are also geeks. It is well-suited for recent grads who work in creative tech industries like graphic design and computerized creativity, as there is a wealth of startups and VC firms that specialize in creative tech within the city. Seattle boasts a strong job market, too, particularly in the city’s growing tech sector. Creatives who specialize in mobile apps and user experience are in particular demand.
7. Chicago: Chicago is already recognized as a creative capital, and it’s working even harder to create more cultural opportunities with a Chicago Cultural Plan sponsored by the city itself. Paired with an optimistic job market for new grads, this means young residents of Chicago can enjoy plenty of creative opportunities today and in the future. Not a bad situation, considering that Chicago has the third largest creative economy in the U.S., generating more than $2 billion annually and employing 150,000 people.
8. Wilmington, Del.: Delaware is not a state that you’d really expect to be a hub of creativity, but with a world-class art museum, a fashion district in development, and a monthly Art on the Town Loop since 1988, we’re really impressed by Wilmington’s potential for creative college grads. Perhaps most impressive of all? As a state, Delaware offers the second-highest salary for the creative class, only behind California, a location that has a much higher cost of living.
9. Iowa City, Iowa: Another hidden gem for creatives is humble Iowa City. This unlikely candidate turns out to be a hub of literature, offering an incredible arsenal of resources for teaching and supporting writers. In fact, it’s been called a “nursery” for writers, and was even designated an UNESCO City of Literature. This honor is well-deserved, with destination bookstores, 11 literary presses, an overwhelmingly large percentage of libraries for its population, and more than 180 literary events held each year. The city’s inhabitants have made it famous as a proving ground for writers, with residents including Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Flannery O’Connor, and John Irving.
10. Washington, D.C.: D.C. hasn’t always been known for its creative class opportunities, but we simply have to point out the potential for growth in this city. A 2010 survey from The Atlantic shared that the greater Washington, D.C. area was prepared to add over 143,000 creative jobs, second only to NYC and LA. That is perhaps thanks to a major plan unveiled by the city, Creative DC Action Agenda aimed at further strengthening D.C.’s creative sector. The city plans to leverage its role as a world capital to bring in major cultural events, diverse creative talent, and foreign missions that will boost D.C.’s culture and creative economy. Combined with a healthy job market with roughly one advertised job opening for every unemployed worker in the D.C. area, recent creative grads have a great opportunity to find a job in this city.
11. Boulder, Colo.: Boulder’s natural beauty is an amenity that draws many creative companies to set up shop in the city. Although it’s certainly not cheap to live there, opportunities abound in this college town. It has become a “mecca for new high-tech startups” in search of qualified creative grads, and the numbers are staggering. The New York Times reports that venture capitalists invested $1.9 in 275 Colorado startups from 2007 to 2009. All that money’s got to go somewhere, might as well be your ski fund.
12. Minneapolis: Like D.C., Minneapolis doesn’t have a great track record of supporting the creative class, but they’re poised to make a serious change in the near future. The city recently named its first Director of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, a position that is designed to help Minneapolis become more competitive with creative jobs. Naturally, that means this city is soon to be flush with opportunities for creative grads. And they’re not just talking about it either, they’re actually making things work: Minneapolis has a great median income for design professionals, ranging from $50,000 to $60,000. Plus, according to Monster.com, Minneapolis has the sixth hottest job market in the country, creative and otherwise.

Taken From Online Degrees

9 Awesome Pinterest Boards for Home Buyers

We all know that Pinterest, the popular site for keeping track of and sharing links, is great for planning weddings, finding cute clothes, and showing everyone what good taste you have, but you may not think of it when you begin looking for a house. And you’d be missing out. Users have such a wide variety of boards, you’re sure to find some with useful pins for your home-buying adventure. Here are some to get you started, and you will likely find some real estate boards specific to your location if you do a quick search. Follow these boards to learn all about home buying, mortgages, and finding inspiration to start your own “Dream Home” Pinterest board.

1. Homes.com: House Hunting Tips:

   If you’re just looking for pretty pictures, follow a different board. If you want a wealth of valuable advice and information about the home searching and buying process, this Homes.com board is perfect for you. With videos and links to articles chock full of tips for first-time buyers and veterans alike, you’ll be fully prepared for your next (or first!) home search.

2. Gene Mundt: Mortgage and Credit:

   You’re about to have to start using that dreaded M-word a lot: mortgage. Since home loans and mortgages can be pretty confusing, you’ll want to learn as much as possible before you commit to one or before you try to get out from under one. As a mortgage lending professional, this pinner knows his stuff and pins relevant links he comes across, covering topics from credit scores to industry terminology. It may not be a fun board, but it’s definitely an important one.

3. American Realty: Expert Advice on Selling Your Home:

   If this isn’t your first home-buying rodeo, you probably are up against the tough task of selling your current home before you can move on to your dream house. This board from American Realty gives tips and inspiration for getting your home in prime shape for the market. Organizational tips, entryway decorations, and other advice for boosting your home’s appeal will be right at your fingertips.

4. SJ Lord: Real Estate Information:

   Who doesn’t love a good infographic? This board is a great place to look for quick, illustrated information on everything real estate. You’ll learn about all the hidden costs, ways to save on mortgages, and tips on buying and selling. If you don’t have a lot of time to read lengthy articles, this board will be a great go-to for easy-to-digest summaries of relevant facts.

5. Home Depot: Curb Appeal:

   Whether you’re looking to dress up your house before selling or searching for inspiration for your new space, this board will give you great ideas. And since it’s by Home Depot, you already know where you can find a lot of the supplies to make these upgrades! Spruce up your home, old or new, with new hardware, a colored door, or interesting light fixtures, and see how drastically it changes your curb appeal.

6. Jess Ica: Green Solutions:

   Does your new home need a thorough scrubbing before you move in? Are you having trouble seeing past dirty fixtures and grimy appliances when you look at potentially great houses? Follow this board for some green cleaning ideas that will put your mind at ease. The best part? Most of them will cost less and work better than what you would buy at the store. There are also all kinds of other quick, green fixes that will save you money that could be better used to pay off your mortgage!

7. Better Homes and Gardens: Livable Living Rooms:

   Let your imagination run wild as you prepare to set up your new living spaces. This board and others from the people who give us Better Homes and Gardens magazine will have you drooling over bright paint colors, cozy nooks, and why-didn’t-I-think-of-that furniture arrangements. Each photo has a little tip for how you can take ideas from that particular room and use them in your own home. And once you get your living room sorted out with this board, there are other boards for awesome laundry rooms, bathrooms, patios, and more.

8. HGTV: Clever Solutions:

   Of course no home buyer can go wrong with HGTV. While their TV channel covers all aspects of home-buying in 30-minute chunks, you can turn to their Pinterest boards during commercials or when you just want some quick space solutions. There’s a chance that you’ll fall in love with a house that has just a few things you don’t like: out-of-date kitchen cabinets, a lack of storage, a narrow room, etc. With these ideas in mind, you can buy the house you adore and fix up any problem areas. You might have to get a little creative, but these pins will get you started.

9. Apartment Therapy: Design Tips:

   Don’t be confused by the name Apartment Therapy — these pins work for prospective home owners just as well. If you’re thinking of renovating your new place or just want to consider how you’ll fit in your furniture, this board has some great guides to scroll through. There are also ideas for how to make your house feel more like home (and a stylish one at that) when you finally get those keys.

Taken From Home Insurance

10 Negative Effects of Anxiety on Your Brain

Anxiety is a debilitating condition, causing sufferers to constantly experience stress, worry, and uneasiness. As a chronic medical problem, anxiety can wreak havoc on your body and your brain, causing panic attacks, heart trouble, and even deadly strokes. Perhaps the most worrying aspect of anxiety is its potential to damage your brain, sometimes even permanently. Read on to learn about ten of the most disturbing negative effects that anxiety can have on your brain.

1. Stroke:

   Perhaps the scariest effect of anxiety on the brain is the increased risk of stroke. When "fight or flight" hormones are constantly on the attack, your heart risk and subsequent stroke risk goes up. In fact, research from Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association indicates that middle-aged men with symptoms of psychological distress including anxiety are "more than three times as likely to have a fatal stroke" than those who do not have problems with anxiety.

2. Dead hippocampus cells:

   Overloading your stress system can have a huge impact on stress hormones. As the sympathetic nervous system (the one responsible for stress) works so hard, some stress hormones just don’t know when to stop. When this happens, and stress hormones are active in the brain for too long, they can injure and even kill hippocampus brain cells. Although all of the parts of your brain are obviously essential, the hippocampus is even more vital because it’s needed for memory and learning.

3. SSRIs can result in memory loss, disorientation:

   Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, commonly known as SSRIs, are typically used to treat chronic anxiety disorders. But one aspect of the drugs that’s sure to induce further anxiety is the possibility for memory loss and disorientation as a side effect. There are reports of "memory loss, tics, and jerking side effects" in SSRI patients, with the possibility of long-term brain damage from use of the drugs.

4. Early memory decline:

   We already know that lingering stress hormones can take out brain cells in your hippocampus, the area of the brain that’s responsible for memory. So naturally, it’s easy to understand that anxiety can lead to early memory decline. This is especially true for elderly people who suffer from both depression and anxiety, as they are risk factors for memory problems.

5. Cognitive performance:

   Academic researchers from the University of Alberta, University of Illinois, and Duke University have discovered that anxiety-inducing distraction can have a major impact on cognitive performance. Clearly, if you’re preoccupied by anxiety, it’s difficult to think about much else. The research clearly showed that there is a "detrimental impact of emotion distraction."

6. Lack of concentration:

   Following along the same lines as cognitive performance, problems with anxiety can cause a lack of concentration. Anxietyfreechildren.com explores the effects of anxiety and concentration on school performance, and has found that stress and fear can negatively impact concentration and school work, making it difficult for students to focus on tasks and find road blocks in their thought process. This leads to low grades, poor performance, and difficulty creating and maintaining relationships with their peers.

7. Hyperactive brain circuits:

   Generalized anxiety disorder are at risk for hyperactive brain circuits, an abnormality in the brain. Researchers have identified increased metabolic rates in a variety of areas of the brain in both passive activity and during vigilance tasks, which leads them to believe that patients with GAD are at risk for hyperactive brain circuits.

8. Insomnia:

   For many patients, anxiety and insomnia go hand in hand. Anxiety can cause insomnia, just as insomnia can lead to problems with anxiety. This sleep disorder can cause poor quality of sleep and difficulty functioning throughout the day. Insomnia is often one of the first symptoms of depression or anxiety.

9. Slowing of frontal-prefrontal lobe function:

   With chronic stress and anxiety, your body and brain are kept in an always-on state of alert, which leads to long term effects on the brain. MRI scans have indicated that patients who suffer from chronic anxiety show a "significant slowing of prefrontal lobe function."

10. Loss of brain tissue:

    In addition to the slowing of frontal-prefrontal lobe function, MRI scans indicate that chronic anxiety sufferers may also have a loss of brain tissue. This change, along with the aforementioned frontal-prefrontal lobe function slowing are "the basis of many forms of mental disturbance and mental illness."

Taken From Medical Billing & Coding

10 Tips for Dealing with a Sitter Stealing From You

The feeling of violation and intrusion that comes with having something stolen from your home by someone that you’ve entrusted with the safety and well-being of your children is a difficult one to deal with; and then trying to find a way to handle the situation on top of that can be an overwhelming challenge in itself. These ten tips might make the situation easier to deal with in the unfortunate event of it arising.

1. Make Absolutely Sure They’re the Guilty Party – Before doing anything, it’s imperative to make sure that your babysitter is, without a shadow of doubt, the guilty party. Accusations of stealing can severely damage a childcare provider’s reputation, which is inexcusable if they’re innocent.
2. Have An Open, One-On-One Discussion – For those people who are comfortable having a potentially-tense conversation, a frank discussion about your suspicions might be the best possible first step. This could give your babysitter the chance to confess and offer an explanation; it can also afford them the much-deserved opportunity to defend their innocence, if necessary.
3. Opt to Avoid the Confrontation – Parents who are more reserved or shy may not be thrilled with the idea of a confrontation that has the potential to become explosive. If you do choose not to address the issue, you should keep your suspicions to yourself unless they’re absolutely proven. Making an accusation without affording the sitter a chance to explain simply isn’t fair.
4. Take Their Age Into Consideration – When you’re trying to decide the best course of action, it might help to take the sitter’s age into consideration. A teenage girl who impulsively took something of little value might simply need a strong talking-to, whereas an older sitter should have better impulse control; the age of the sitter should affect the severity of your actions.
5. Decide Whether You’re Pressing Charges – If the stolen object(s) are of great value, or have the potential to cause problems in the wrong hands, it’s probably best to file a police report. If enough evidence exists for an arrest, the police will know after an investigation. This can take the entire matter out of your hands, but might be overkill for something small and inconsequential.
6. Speak to A Parent or Guardian (If Age-Appropriate) – While having a conversation with the parents of a thirty-year-old may be a bit silly, talking to the parents or guardians of a teenager that you’ve caught stealing is very important. If you’re choosing not to file charges then the consequences should be left in the hands of your sitter’s parents.
7. Take the Nature of the Stolen Item into Consideration – A small or inexpensive item stolen is still a violation, but probably doesn’t warrant police involvement. However, if the items stolen are prescription drugs, firearms or other potentially dangerous objects, they should be reported immediately. In the case of prescription drugs, it might be necessary to discuss the possibility of addiction with your sitter or their parents.
8. Determine If Your Kids’ Need to Know – If your children are older and have an idea of what happened then it’s best to explain the situation to them simply and plainly in order to allow them to process it without the weight of gossip or sensationalism. Younger, oblivious children probably don’t need to know much, if anything, about the situation.
9. Quietly Warn Friends or Neighbors – Once again, this step should only be taken if you’re certain that your babysitter is responsible for items being stolen; however, protecting unsuspecting friends and neighbors from sitters with a penchant for larceny is probably a good idea.
10. Take Steps to Ensure That It Never Happens Again – Expensive items left lying carelessly about or prescription drugs with street value are an invitation, even for kids that are mostly well behaved. Stowing valuables out of sight and keeping pills in out-of-the-way places are the best way to prevent a repeat occurrence.

This is a situation that no parent anticipates dealing with, but unfortunately it does happen. Considering the possibility before it happens and preparing for it will help you avoid an emotional reaction and allow you to approach the situation in a more reasoned manner.

Taken From Babysitting Jobs