As Memorial Day approaches, we are so thankful for those of you who have served and are serving in the military, for the sacrifices that you make for our country. But that doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice a college education.

It is possible to get a degree while serving in the military, particularly thanks to online learning. The Army is offering online courses, joining many institutions with online degrees that are attracting those in the military. GoArmyEd.com is the place to go to learn about distance learning and eArmyU online college classes.

More than half of military students are learning online, according to GetEducated.com, a consumer watchdog and advocacy group that rates, ranks, and verifies the cost, quality, and credibility of online schools.

Many schools, such as DeVry University and University of Phoenix, offer distance learning information specifically for those in the military.

Sgt. Teresa de la Cueva, a master’s degree student at University of Phoenix who has served in the Air Force for 17 years, says one of the reasons she returned to school was for her troops.

“As I progressed in my military career, I saw that I needed to further my education in order to improve my leadership skills and to become a mentor to younger troops,” she says. “Education helped me immensely in these regards.”

The American Council on Education serves as the link between the U.S. Department of Defense and higher education institutions to provide college credits for Armed Forces members.

As part of your research you may want to follow blogs by publications such as Military Times Edge, which reports on programs and career paths that people in the military may want to pursue. You can do a comparison to see how the GI Bill will benefit your online learning efforts, too.

Be proud of your service to the military and realize that this doesn’t mean your college hopes and dreams need to wait, either.

-Lori Johnston
Additional reporting by Delaney Young

I can’t wait for Sunday’s “Lost” finale, and although I’m dying to find out what happens and have my numerous questions answered, it’s sad to see the show coming to an end. I’ve had hours and hours of discussions with friends through the six seasons of “Lost,” trying to figure out just what’s happening, where they are, and sorting out the flash forwards with the past, present days, and sideways world.

The thing that’s so intriguing about the show is that it pulls from so many areas of study in college, too.

Maybe those who have focused on these areas have had an easier time following the storylines than others who were lost on the plot.

Or maybe if you’re a huge “Lost” fan, some parts of the show made you see that you have a natural knack certain subjects. And you’ve seen some of the characters – often named after authors, physicists and philosophers – portray what it’s like to work in certain careers, too.

So just in time for the show’s long-awaited ending, here are four “Lost”-related career fields (in honor of the role of the number four in the series):

Aviation: If only an aircraft mechanic or avionics technician had been on the island, they would have been able to help Jack, Kate, Sawyer and the others repair the plane when it crashed and head to their original destination, Los Angeles. Or someone who had taken an aircraft dispatcher program could have helped ensure the flight never crashed on the island, no matter what the Man in Black or Jacob wanted.

Health care: Jack and Juliet were among the medical professionals on the island throughout the series, but with so many people facing death due to the smoke monster, Benjamin Linus, Charles Widmore and other random people who ended up on the island, they could have used some more doctors and extra LPNs and clinical medical assistants.

Trade: The time travel and island’s electromagnetic energy still has my head spinning, but someone with an electrical engineering education might have been able to figure it out, aided by Hurley’s ability to see and talk to dead people. They could have found a way to use the island’s mysterious power to get everyone off the island long ago.

Liberal arts: Liberal arts areas of study such as anthropology, archeology (think of all the old bones we’ve seen on the island over the seasons), biology, literature, and sociology all have clued some fans in faster to the meaning of characters’ names, the society on the island, and good and bad decisions made by the characters.

For years, you may have been a student of “Lost.” Now it’s time to determine your own career destiny, which will be important long after we learn what happens to the characters on the mind-blowing show.

-Lori Johnston

Jumping back into school after you’ve been in the working world (or possibly the unemployment lines) can be a scary yet exciting prospect. So many questions: Can I handle it? How do I apply? What if I don’t remember how to be a student? Is online learning a good move for me?

Join  The CollegeBound Network’s #CollegeBound chat on Twitter and join the back to school conversation with other adults thinking of heading back to school and college-bound students of all ages, along with college admission reps, career experts, and current college students.

If there’s anything Twitter is good for, it’s to connect with others to Tweet out the stress, the questions, the concerns, and then get the answers you need from those in the know! Right?

So mark your calendars for The CollegeBound Network’s #CollegeBound chat, beginning Monday, May 24th at 4:00 p.m. EST. For a solid hour, you can hop onto Twitter, and use and follow the #CollegeBound hashtag.

Our first #CollegeBound chat topic is “Preparing for College,” which will give you a sneak peek at researching schools, figuring out what path to follow, and getting your all your initial questions answered. And we won’t leave you hanging; each week will feature a new #CollegeBound chat that features a different college topic… Follow @CollegeBoundNet and @CollegeSurfing, and tune in on Twitter each Monday at 4 p.m. EST.

If you’ve got a college topic that you’d like to learn more about, tweet us @CollegeBoundNet and let us know what’s on your mind. And to unofficially RSVP to #CollegeBound, put your Twitter handle in the Comments below. Here’s a customized TweetGrid for you to use to make it even more simple!

WIN! Send this Tweet prior to the event, and you’ll be entered into a drawing for one of two $50 Amazon gift certificates:

Thinking about going back to school or worried about getting into college? Join #CollegeBound chat on Mon., 5/24 at 4 p.m. EST http://bit.ly/bETW5R (pls. RT)

See you there!

A recent National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) report found that 5.3 percent more new graduates will be hired this year than in 2009. But what NACE doesn’t mention is that new grads aren’t just competing with each other for work; they’re competing with record numbers of unemployed, experienced workers!

So how can you, the new college grad, land the job that everyone else wants? Career Coach Ford Myers, author of “Get the Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring” (John Wiley & Sons, 2009), lists the top 10 tools that all grads should have in their “Job Seekers’ Tool Kit.”

1. Accomplishment Stories
Myers recommends writing stories about five or six school- or work-related tasks of which you’re proud. It’s no secret that stories can be much more memorable and compelling than bullet points on a resume.

2. Positioning Statement
This has become known as the “15-second pitch” or “elevator speech,” listed by every career expert as a must-have job-search tool. Your “commercial” should highlight who you are, what you’ve done, and what you will do for an organization.

3. Professional Biography
Here’s your chance to get creative. Every detail of your bio must be true, but you have the opportunity to write the one-page career narrative in the third person. Don’t bother with false humility; sell yourself!

4. Target Company List
This is a two-part tool. First, brainstorm a wish list of adjectives to describe your ideal employer. Include such considerations as industry, location, size, culture, etc. Then do some research to find organizations that match your criteria, and create a list of 35 to 50 target companies.

5. Contact List
It’s time to hit up your Facebook friends and Twitter followers (are you following us, by the way?). According to Myers, about 80 percent of new career opportunities are secured through networking, so get ready to contact everyone you know – professionally and personally.

6. Professional/Academic References
Use your contact list to highlight professors or colleagues who would love to sing your praises, and ask for their approval to be listed as a job reference.

7. Letters of Recommendation
Now go even further to request recommendation letters from four or five colleagues or academic associates. Never underestimate the power of a personal letter from a career professional.

8. Networking Agenda
If you’ve ever planned your words before you got on the phone with a love interest, you’ll understand the value of creating a script for your networking discussions. Write out your statements and questions, and try to anticipate reactions in order to prepare appropriate responses.

9. Tracking System
Scribbling phone numbers on scraps of paper lends itself to disorganization and unproductivity in your job hunt. Keep a detailed record of all your job search activities (e.g., phone calls, e-mails, faxes, etc.) so you can regularly refer back to your notes and follow up with key contacts.

10. Resume
Of course, you still need to have a resume, and it needs to be amazing. Your one-to two-page synopsis should be well-written, carefully edited, and intuitively designed. All the other job-seeker tools won’t make up for the lack of this critical document.

Taking the time to gather these tools and utilize them effectively will demonstrate the dedication, professionalism, and creativity you need to get hired. Are you ready to beat the competition?

Comment up: What tools did you use to get your first job?

-Robyn Tellefsen

It’s National Nurses Week, and like many others this week, we’re thankful for this in-demand profession. I’ve recognized the importance of nurses many times in my life, such as when I had appendicitis and had to be rushed to the hospital to take out my appendix before finals my junior year of college.

Since then, the number of nurses has grown, with the projections that more than 2.9 million registered nurses will be employed in 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Our recent story notes that “making a difference” is probably one of the most popular reasons why people get into the nursing profession.

Probably the most recognized nurse was Florence Nightingale, whose birthday is May 12, now known as Nurses Day, which is celebrated across the world.

Why? She was the founder of trained nursing as a profession. In the 1850s, she learned about nursing at the Institution of Protestant Deaconesses at Kaiserswerth, Germany, then a decade later, she established the Nightingale School for Nurses at St. Thomas’s Hospital.

Although the need exists for people to follow in the footsteps of Florence Nightingale, we wanted to give you an idea of what it takes to give birth to a career in nursing.

You can plan to get a three-year RN degree, but you may need to be prepared to earn a bachelor of science degree, which groups such as the American Association of Colleges of Nursing recognizes as the minimum educational requirement for professional nurses.

You may need to use patience – a skill you’ll need to have when helping patients as well – when pursuing getting admitted to schools. The AACN found that nearly two-thirds of nursing schools that responded to a 2009 survey cited faculty shortage as the reason for not accepting more applicants.

If the idea of being a nurse gets your blood pumping, it’s worth researching the nursing profession, and this annual week devoted to nurses is a perfect time to do it.

-Lori Johnston

With Mother’s Day weekend behind me and college graduations in the spotlight, it got me to thinking how lucky I’ve been to have a mom who shows her kids and grandchildren that a college education is important.

Beth Wiechman with daughter Lori Johnston and grandson Ty Johnston

While I was doing homework in elementary and middle school, my mom, Beth Wiechman, was a student, too. She was pursuing her undergraduate degree at the University of Alabama, earning her bachelor’s degree in secondary education at 36.

It wasn’t as easy as today, with no online courses and the ability to do research via the Web. She drove more than 30 miles each way throughout the week to attend lectures, classroom discussions, and group projects.

But her learning didn’t stop with the bachelor’s degree, which she earned in 1986. She became a teacher, and 20 years later, she decided to invest in more education to help her better reach her middle school students in Georgia.

She earned her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction: Literacy from Argosy University and then quickly began pursuing her doctorate, an Ed.D. in Teaching and Learning Leadership, from Argosy. She’s spent endless evenings working on assignments and in weekend classes instead of relaxing by her pool.

“Everyone should be lifelong learners. If an individual is a lifelong learner, they can pursue a degree at any time,” she says.

It hasn’t been easy, but my mom has learned about herself and the college system along the way.

When she began the application process at the University of Alabama, the news was discouraging. The dean of admissions said her high school grades indicated that she would not be successful as a university student, on top of the fact that she had been out of school for 15 years.

“I took the ACT the following Monday. That same dean looked at my ACT score and retracted his statement. He said that he didn’t understand how I scored as high as I did on the test,” she says. “I attributed the score to being a lifelong learner.”

Technology also has changed the way she’s learned. Few families had computers when she pursued her undergraduate degree in the 1980s, way before iPads and other gadgets. My mom spent hours in the library and making copies of research articles, which added to the cost of school. Now research reports, articles in reviewed journals, and dissertations are all at her fingertips.

Distance learning has allowed her to work full time as a teacher and earn those advanced degrees.

“I earned my master’s in a cohort program based on the traditional in-class model of teaching. My doctorate program has included courses in a blended format,” she says. “I do work online and in class.”

Technology is allowing older working students to attain their higher education goals, but that’s not the only thing that it takes to be a successful student. As my mom has shown, it’s about the commitment and passion for learning, which continues long after the classes have ended.

It’s a lesson that she and other moms have been teaching for generations.

-Lori Johnston

If you’re like me and took time to spring clean your home once the temperatures warmed up, think about spring cleaning your career, too.

Maybe you’re stuck in a career rut, and now that the dark days of winter have passed, you’re realize it’s time to make some changes. Or maybe the breezy days and spring temperatures are sending some refreshment your way and inspiring you about possible career choices.

The beauty of the outdoors may be causing you to think about exploring the field of floral design, which gets attention this time of year because of proms, weddings, graduations, and other springtime gatherings. Shows such as WE’s “Platinum Weddings” and TLC’s “Flowers Uncut” have put the spotlight on floral designers, too.

Michael Gaffney, founder of the American Schools of Flower Design, which has campuses in New York, Chicago, L.A., San Diego, San Francisco, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis, shared his insight for those seeking to bloom in this industry. Gaffney’s celebrity clients have included Jennifer Aniston and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

1. The floral industry is growing, and there is a demand for new employees needed to fill positions and those looking to start second or post-retirement careers, he said. Institutes such as American Schools of Flower Design offer six- to eight-week classes that attract traditional-age students, retirees, and stay-at-home moms, and offer career placement assistance for students nearing graduation, he said.

2. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have experience yet. Gaffney does recommend that students be interested in art and creative if they’re pursuing this field. You’ll find programs in floral management offered by schools such as Mississippi State University, too.

3. Graduates can find work in a number of spaces including magazine and editorial shoot designs, weddings, events, movie sets, department stores, designers, and more, he said.

Maybe this is a career where you can blossom.

-Lori Johnston

When we say senior here, it has nothing to do with her white hair. Betty White is the quintessential upperclassman — a super senior — that we young freshmen can aspire to be. Yes, that’s right, students: Betty White can teach us a thing or two about lifelong learning… and make us laugh!

Isn’t she hysterical? I know I’ll be DVRing this episode for sure! Now, onto the lessons…

Age is meaningless! If she can appear on SNL after a huge Facebook campaign helped get here there, and steal the Superbowl spotlight with a hysterical ad at age 88, us young whippersnappers shouldn’t fall back on our age as an “it’s too late” excuse.
Lesson: There’s a reason why more adults than ever are heading back to classroom or seeking new careers. It’s never too late to reinvent yourself.

Switching roles. From the airheaded Rose on “Golden Girls” to her old school role in “Mary Tyler Moore,” to the more recent raunchy roasts of fellow comedians and her “senior” sense of humor, Betty is a skilled comedienne.
Lesson: Don’t get caught up in being type-casted. Try new things, learn new skills, take a chance.

Get committed to a cause. Betty has always been very vocal as an animal activist. It’s her true passion.
Lesson: Find time to do something you’re passionate about. Having an outlet to do good or give back will make you feel better during those stressful school/work/family juggling days. And if you can find a way to link your passion to your professional, even better!

Good luck this weekend, Betty! We’ll be watching.

** Join the Facebook page, Betty White as Hilarious Commencement Speaker — if you helped get her on SNL, maybe you can get her to be a college commencement speaker, too! **

-Dawn Papandrea