Sonograms Help Military Dads Stay Connected

Many companies are showing support of our troops by providing free or discounted sonogram services to active-duty military personnel and their spouses. These programs are designed to offer moms-to-be the opportunity to share their pregnancies with their overseas spouses—thus building bonds and easing the feelings of isolation.

Our only caution is to remember that these ultra-sounds should not take the place of a competent doctor—women are advised to maintain regular check-ups with their doctors.

Small Wonders Imaging, LLC in Charleston, SC offers free 3-d ultrasounds to spouses of deployed servicemen. To learn more about the program, visit:
http://www.pr.com/press-release/37366

Pacific Coast Ultrasound offers military wives the chance to send a DVD of the ultrasound to their active-duty husbands, for free—when their insurance pays for the first ultrasound. Contact for more information, scroll to bottom of this page:
http://www.pacificcoastultrasound.com/4dultrasound.html

Tiny Images Ultrasounds offers a 15% discount for active military personnel. Their 4-D imaging program gives the clearest indication of baby. To learn more visit: http://www.tinyimagesultrasound.com/pricing.html

To locate more facilities that offer free ultrasounds to pregnant women of military personnel, contact your local hospital, your nearest free clinic, or your nearest pro-life center. If these establishments cannot offer advice, check with your local universities; sometimes medical students need practice patients.

Come back on Monday as we discuss our week long series on switching careers.

4 Tips To Make Studying Easier

The difference between college and high school isn’t the freedom of “doing what you want, when you want”, it’s the workload that soon takes over the life of the college freshman. Straight out of high school, ready to embark on the unknown, freshmen soon discover that college is hard work and with that hard work comes the task of learning to juggle the heavy reading load, the tests that make up over half their grades, and projects that consume their evenings.

But feeling overwhelmed can be a thing of the past when you use these study tips:

1. Study daily.
   Cramming the night before the test may help you pass that chapter test, but it won’t help you past that semester test and it won’t help you retain important information that’s needed for next semester’s advance course.
   
   
2. Study for shorter periods of time.
   Have you ever noticed that the longer you study, the more confused you become? That’s because your brain begins to feel tired and stops processing the information you feed it. Give your brain a chance to assimilate the information you’ve fed it by taking short breaks between your study sessions.
   
   
3. Rest.
   When your body is tired, your brain shuts down, making it difficult to retain the information you’ve just fed it. Take time out of each day—even if it’s only 15 minutes of me time—to relax and enjoy the life you’ve been given. Once you feel rejuvenated, get back to those books.
   
   
4. Find a partner.
   Sometimes the best thing you can do for your grades is to find a study partner. Study partners help keep you accountable, make learning fun, and even help you see things differently—especially when you’re struggling with a problem your study partner has already solved.
   

And don’t forget to use those techniques you learned in elementary school: study cards, repeating sentences or definitions until they stick, and using visual aides.

Come back on Friday as we discuss where to find free sonograms for military personnel.

4 Things To Consider When Applying To College

When applying for college, do you only think about what you're going to do when you get there? Or do you think about what the college is going to do for you? Applying for college isn't just about fun and games, it's about picking the right college; the college that will help you succeed. So the next time you sit down to fill out those college applications, keep these four tips in mind:

1. Goals.
How often have you heard friends wish they’d gone to a different college? A college that was more suited to their interests and dreams and not their checkbook? A big mistake is to assume that every college has what you’re looking for. Take the time to research the colleges you’re interested in and rank them by academics: courses, degrees, accreditations, and the ability to transfer and further your education.

2. Interests.
As much you want an education, if it’s not fun and exciting, you’re sure to stop attending classes. So the next thing on your list to rank is interests: what are the teachers like? Do they make class fun and interesting or do they simply read from a list of notes in a monotone voice?

3. Extra-curricular Activities.
Let’s face it, no college would be complete without fraternities, sporting events, clubs, and so forth. But what you need to keep in mind is how these events and clubs will benefit you in the future. Will they look good on your resume? Will they provide additional skills? Or are they simply a fun way to get distracted?

4. Financing.
No matter what your list says, the final ranking truly does come down to finances. If you don’t have the funds to attend college, you’ll need scholarships, grants, and student loans. Make sure your college admissions officer understands how these programs work so that you get the best deal possible.

Come back on Wednesday to discover 4 tips for making studying easier.