Are You Eligible To Apply For A Scholarship With Nanct Etz?*

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Scholarships Are Not Just For Sports People And Genius'.

Many people aren’t even aware that they may be eligible for help and assistance, whether it takes the form of government grant, maintenance loans or scholarships. There are lots of options out there. In the US, college is notoriously expensive, and with the current hit to the global economy, the process of applying for further study might seem unattainable. But before you give up all hope, there are numerous avenues to explore first. A scholarship is a grant of money which is usually awarded to an outstanding candidate, to help them afford some of or in some cases all of the costs of further study. 

Many people are familiar with the notion of the sports scholarship especially in the US, seen as a golden ticket to a brighter future by many thousands of young people. But there are awards for academic performance, achievement and excellence. These awards seek to reward and assist students financially, in order to enable them to excel in their chosen field.

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You Don't Have To Pay Back The Money!

A scholarship is not a loan, it is more akin to a grant, and you do not have to repay the money once you have received it. Scholarships make a difference for thousands of people every year, enabling those who have talents and passion to pursue their dreams in the face of their prior financial difficulties. 

The Nancy Etz Scholarship is one such award. In order to apply for this grant of $1000, the only requirement is that you are currently registered as a full time undergraduate or graduate student. The deadline is February 1st 2021. What have you got to lose? 

Scholarships are so important because they help to alleviate a lot of very real pressure and stress. By receiving a scholarship award a person might then be able to dedicate a little less time to working and more to their study. I’d advise anybody pursuing further study to search online for as many scholarships as possible and apply to everyone you find for which you are eligible. It’s a 'no-brainer' really.

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There Are Other Kinds Of Help Available To You.

As well as scholarships, there is also some government support and assistance available. One which I like is for single mothers, any parent can understand the sheer complexities involved in having to raise a child alone, working a job as well as studying at the same time. There is no doubt that the grade a person will achieve can be altered by such seemingly overwhelming stresses. So for any single Moms out there interested in furthering your education; check out this link for further information about the various processes involved and how you might be eligible for assistance.

For anyone who might be struggling to cope with the costs of college, there is advice, information and assistance available. Many people get to college and then encounter unforeseen pecuniary issues. As everyone knows, lots of students work alongside their studies, and for those who are struggling to pay bills, often it is one’s grades which will ultimately suffer. Therefore if you are encountering problems it is important to let someone know asap. With the right support and guidance it could be the difference between getting into insurmountable debt, dropping out of college, and passing your course.

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Been Involved In A Car Accident Or Personal Injury And Unsure What To Do Next?*

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The Simple Fact Is, Accidents Can And Do Happen

Car accidents occur with a rather startling frequency, statistics show that in the US between more than 38000 people die every year due to motoring related incidents in the US, (That's approximately one fatality every 13 minutes on US roads). Global figures are even more stark, due to the poorer infrastructure and varying levels of health and safety in different countries and cultures. On average roughly 3700 people in the world die every single day in road traffic incidents. An approximate 20-40 million people suffer serious enough injuries to warrant medical attention, in the US that figure is around 3-4 million injuries per annum. It is important to know of some of the options available to you, should you or someone you know ever be in such an incident.

The legalities of the whole process can be very intimidating to a lot of people, and many people simply are not aware that they have options open to them, if only they are aware and willing to seek them out. For example, there are solicitors who specialize in car accident cases, and others who specialize in the field of personal injury. Therefore whether you or your vehicle  sustains any damage you should ensure that you give yourself the best possible chance to secure any compensation or reimbursement etc that you are entitled to. 

If you are involved in a car accident then one thing you could potentially do if you are able is to make a record of everything which happened before, during and after the incident, and take photographs, be thorough, many angles etc. The pictures especially could be worth their weight in gold when used as evidence further down the line when making any potential claims. 

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Who Do I Contact To Find Out More

By contacting a reputable solicitors firm such as Kinnet, Fernandez and Boire who specialize in such matters, you or someone you know can rest assured, safe in the knowledge that you will have a team of experts working collaboratively for your best interests. If they assess you as having a rightful and legal position with regards to making a claim, then they will take you through the process. 

In the UK there tends to be a uniform ‘3 year rule’, whereby a person has up to three years to make a claim, the most common claim being for ‘negligence’. In the USA the time limits allowed can vary from State to State so it is worth looking into, especially if you have been in a car accident or suffered a personal injury in recent years. 

Most Lawyers will only charge a fee if they secure a payout for you, and so there is no harm in at looking into it. As mentioned, many people are put off by the complexities of the legal system. Many people are simply not aware that by entering a simple search online, you can easily find out more. Most firms will have websites and some will offer assistance online, as well as the usual methods such as email and phone numbers. 

It has never been easier to find good legal representation.  

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An Introduction To Craft Beers with Melvin Brewing*

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First Things First

Craft Breweries typically produce relatively small quantities of beer. Generally speaking, craft brewers are much smaller than their large scale, corporate brewery counterparts and they are often independently owned. 

Most if not all craft breweries are typically characterised by their emphasis on quality, flavor and brewing technique. As the industry has grown, the term craft brewery is a more encompassing one.

The microbrewing industry as we know it today properly began in the 1970s both in the United States and the UK. More often than not in the early days, they would often be very small indeed. The term micro brewery would usually indicate a brewery which formed during or before the original movement of the 1970’s, therefore with the expansion and growth in the industry, the term craft brewery is a more encompassing one. 

The vast majority of these original micro breweries would be very small indeed, perhaps a beer enthusiast experimenting with the brewing process in his garden shed, or maybe a few drinking buddies who hit upon the idea to make their own brew. More often than not, these enterprises would be merely ‘labours of love’ and not remotely about retail, sales or capitalistic gain.

However, due to a surge in popularity, (because of the high quality and popular tastes of the beers), craft breweries began expanding and developing to cater for a greater swathe of the alcoholic beverage market, thus the industry began to grow.

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The Art of Brewing

It should be noted that traditional artisanal brewing has existed in Europe for many centuries and subsequently was spread to the other countries around the world. In medieval times, beer would be the daily drink, because of the brewing process any bacteria or water borne diseases would be killed. It was better for your health to drink beer than to visit the local stream, well or water pump. 

Since the 70's these more traditional artisanal methods have been spreading, and with some small breweries expanding both their production and distribution; the more encompassing concept of ‘Craft Brewing’, as we would recognize it today, emerged. Today there are even brewpubs, which are pubs which brew their own beer and sell it on the premises.

Why Craft Beer? 

Consumers continue to demand a diverse variety of beers, from lagers, pale ales and seasonal beers to stouts, saisons and Belgian witbiers; craft brewers have snared a considerable portion of drinkers that would have traditionally opted for light and premium brand beers. 

Since many of the industry’s craft brewers are micro brewers, local brewpubs and regional producers, consumers have undeniably gravitated towards them. People are drawn to smaller operations such as Melvin Brewing for a number of reasons, among them are; the plethora of different flavors on offer, the traditional techniques used and to help support local businesses. 

The variety is far reaching and there is surely a craft beer out there for even the most sophisticated palate. I’d definitely recommend trying some craft beer if you haven’t already. They also vary in strength from low alcoholic content, to way up in the teens by percentage.

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Feel Good About Supporting Your Local Businesses

The brewing process has numerous stages and is time consuming, it is often regarded by those involved as an art form. There’s something romantic about the concept that this craft beer has been lovingly made, with great care and diligence rather than in batches of million of litres per annum, like the more mainstream brands. 

It is much more difficult for these smaller enterprises to survive and flourish without a loyal consumer base who buy into the ethos of the brewers themselves to some degree. This is obvious for any smaller bespoke business when trying to compete with multinational corporations and their corresponding multimillion dollar marketing budgets.

Because craft breweries tend to be small and independently owned,  they have to be ‘on their game’ at every stage of the process. They cannot afford to get anything wrong when it comes to crops, service or the actual brewing process.

So, with every sip, you know you are getting an end product which has required months of hardwork and dedication by people whose passion in life is the quest to create the perfect beer for you and when you do find the perfect craft beer for your tastebuds, it makes for an altogether more bespoke drinking experience.

Cheers

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Making Money From Home*

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Get After It

Everyday more and more people are realising the entrepreneurial possibilities which the internet affords each and every one of us. Never before has it been so simple for a person with no business experience to be able to set up a profitable operation of their own. There are many benefits to being able to make money from the comfort of your own home, so here I shall go through a few simple ideas and recommend that you fully explore the plethora of opportunities which may be available to you, depending on your field of interest and your skills.

First Stop Ebay

Ebay and sites like it are a great option for people seeking to make some additional money. Whether you are having a spring clean and wish to sell some of your belongings, or perhaps you have found a line of stock which you think you can sell for a profit. Auction sites allow you to list your item under your own terms ensuring you only sell when a price is reached which you are happy with. A survey last year in the UK stated the average home has around £2000 worth of unwanted and saleable items. Most of these sites also have brilliant helplines, live chat support and advice. Make the most of the resources available and do some research.

While there are many entrepreneurs out there who have become millionaires by trading online, set yourself some realistic shorter term goals and be prepared to put in some extra hours of graft. Look up the tips section too and make sure you list your items for sale at the most opportune times and with good quality photographs and detailed description of the item you wish to sell.

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Fiver.com

This is a great site for people who might have a skill or talent. The basic concept is that people will pay £5 for say an hour of tuition in something. This can be a great way of earning some quick money. Some examples of services offered and requested might be, language tuition, proofreading, editing, graphic design and logo making, artistry, tuition in a musical instrument, the list goes on. Definitely worth checking out if you feel like you might be able to offer your skills and experience to the benefit of others while making a few extra pounds.

This is a great option particularly for people who have a passion about something and who enjoy sharing their passion with others. Great for students and people looking to supplement their income.

Etsy

This is a great place for you artsy folk out there. Again a simple process, you draw a picture, paint a scene, craft something unique, you list it, and then you sell it. If you an artist who is hoping to sell your own work, then you must set up an etsy account, you could make some extra cash by the end of the day. By combining the use of a site which you can sell on such as Etsy, Ebay or Amazon, with social media platforms in order to help get the word out. There are cases of 'ordinary' people from all around the world who are millionaires and thousands who are now making a full-time living from working at home.

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Don't Overthink. Keep It Simple

The great thing about these kinds of business ideas is that the costs are relatively low while the potential to make a profit is good and for relatively little effort you can make some real money. There are no overheads, and as long as you price your item at a rate which allows you to make money once deductions are taken, there is no reason why you can't at the very least, develop a secondary income stream. If you would like to gain some experience and professional development to help you in your entrepreneurial pursuits it is no bad thing to look into in order to add another string to your bow.

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A Few Reasons Why I Chose To Study Geography At University*

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Where Does My Passion For Geography Come From?

I have always loved the subject from being a young lad and I think my family has a lot to do with it. In the case of Nature vs nurture, I believe nurture has had a great influence. So back to the beginning, my Dad was a kid in the 1940s and  early 50s so when he was a lad there wasn't much to do on a rainy day, or if all his mates happened to be grounded or otherwise engaged, other than to read books and look at atlases and maps, and on a Sunday Evening he might be allowed to listen to his Father's radio. He would also collect stamps from all across the world; specifically from the colonies and former colonies of the (at that time now breaking-up and soon to be all but defunct) British Empire.

He would travel up and down the UK via steam trains, on his own at just nine years of age, saving up for months to pay for his tickets; stopping at various stations along the way and taking down numbers and names of every one of those beautiful steam engines he saw. Even today when you see the odd commemorative steam train still in operation, I can start reading the number aloud and after two or three digits he will say, 'Seen it' or, 'Seen all that class'. 'No TV in those days', he always wryly adds.

Again some names of one's I can recollect him mentioning as a boy were the 'Duchess of Atholl' and the 'Duchess of Sutherland' in the Coronation Class of Engines. These names spurred his curiousity and he would look up the names and learn about the places; some classes of steam trains would be named after Colonies of the Empire, of famous Battles and Generals and thus to this day my dad has a general knowledge which is absolutely amazing and I'd say he passed on his passion for learning about the world. 

Like wise exotic names such as Antigua and Bermuda, Trinidad and Tobago, Hawaii and such seemed about as far removed from Dad's reality as you could get especially combined with books filled with exotic and strange looking creatures, or with the beautiful landscapes and landmarks from around the world. Growing up in the afore mentioned slum with no electricity and no toilet (he had to walk forty yards down a lane in order to go to the lav in the middle of the night, in the Lake District in the North of England, back when, 'Winter's were Winters!'.

He also recalls taking baths in front of the fireplace, and walking up the stairs at night holding his candle for light. He would spend hours as a boy learning about these far flung and mystical places and his curiosity about the world around us was sparked in that way and as such, as a young lad, I myself was prone to spending the odd rainy day looking over maps with him and watching documentaries and shows about the world around us. Another reason for my curiosity and willingness to learn about other cultures also has at least a bit to do with my Mum and more specifically her background.

My Mum's Dad was an immigrant to the UK from what is now Ukraine, but when he was born there in 1922 it was part of the USSR. Grandad came to England shortly after World War Two had ended and so being that I am therefore a quarter Slavic, I have always had a fascination with those origins. However, due to terrible circumstances my Grandad would never ever return to his homeland. His family were ALL lost by the time the war ended. His is a story of the utmost tragedy and hardship and of courage and I shall definitely talk more about him at some point.

So, having this background I was naturally always inclined towards wanting to learn about the outside world. In fact I recently received a book called This is London by Ben Judah which is a brilliant book and it delves into the immigrant communities of yesteryear right up to the present day giving some fascinating insights into the ways in which immigrants have helped to shape and make not only London, but Britain as a whole. Unlike my Dad who lived in the same town for the first 44 years of his life, my mum grew up living something of a 'Gypsy' way of life, moving from time to time up and down the length and breadth of the country. Grandad worked on the construction of the first motorways in Britain, he worked for Laing's a huge construction company to this day, and so they had to move to where the work was at the time. 

In fact looking into my family history has been very enlightening in itself, I also found out that some of my distant forebears were French Huguenots who fled religious persecution in the Provence region of France and immigrated to East Anglia; itself of course taking its name from the Germanic tribe named the Angles, who ruled the region when England was not yet formed but was divided into several separate Kingdoms such as Mercia, Northumberland, Wessex etc. England itself obviously comes from 'Angla' Land, roughly translated, once again meaning, 'Land of the Angles'. Sorry for the random tangent, but so many people seem to view migration and immigration as fairly recent concepts, but a quick glance through history will reveal the omnipresence of human trans-migration worldwide.

As A Degree Which Can Help You Further Your Experience, Career and Skills.

Geography is a multi-skilled discipline and is divided between Human Geography (which led me to my B.A. Hons) and Physical Geography which leads to a MSc. I was naturally better at the Physical side in terms of my grades, but I didn't enjoy that aspect of geography nearly as much as the Human side. Here's a run down of what falls under 'Physical Geog'. You learn valuable skills from how to argue a point, supported with evidence and backed by a deep understanding of an issue. You will be carrying out and conducting surveys and research thesis' doing real life investigations, statistical analysis and all kinds of data analysis in general; formatting the results of research in creative and interesting ways, learning about different economies, political systems, languages and cultures from around the globe.

Andrew Charlton has written some very interesting books on such issues and one which I think is worthwhile for anyone with an interest in business or economics is Dragon's Tail. It is a tremendously engaging and thought provoking read on the rise of China as a global economic superpower, as well as looking into some of the ramifications and potential effects for Australia (His homeland).

I was also very fortunate to go to one of the strongest three Geography departments in the UK and is consistently ranked as one of the top ten Geography Departments in the world according to the QS Rankings. Whereas if you want to be a doctor or a lawyer or a computer scientist, then you will obviously take up the necessary corresponding medical, legal or computer-study based route to your respective career. However, for the many people out there who perhaps aren't quite so sure what career you would ultimately like to do then I would say Geography is a tremendous option as so many of the skills you learn are transferable, and the content of the courses is rigorous enough to really challenge you in my opinion.

By studying such a range of separate topics under the umbrella of geography also helps to build up a pretty good level of understanding about a wide variety of issues and concepts which are undoubtedly relevant and in some cases crucial to the future of our planet. Covering everything from human impact on the planet to the extreme urbanization and economical shifts within nations such as in Thailand in recent decades; whereby the country's agricultural industry collapsed as there was a long period of mass migration with regards to the formerly rural populations moving en masse to rapidly developing urban centers (like Bangkok) in the search for greater prosperity. Just an insight into one of the ways in which the study of geography can help develop an understanding of geo-political and socio-economic issues among others. You see geography is not just 'advanced map colouring' :)

Where Could It Lead?

There are so many roots, you can go into further academic study such as in the case of Andrew Charlton who went on to further study at Oxford as well as working as a political advisor to a Prime Minister, and of course a successful author; or perhaps you might want to become the fabled part-time geography/physical ed teacher? In reality geography graduates can be found in pretty much any industry you can think of and most of my friends are now working in business/finance. There are many options open to geography graduates. I'd recommend it as a course of study to anyone with a passion for learning about this amazing planet which we happen to inhabit.

P.S. I also loved the fieldwork element of my course, rather than being stuck in a classroom all the time, I relished the opportunities to get out in the countryside or to a city in order to conduct research. For me it just has a good mix of everything which kind of matches my curious nature.

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Bad Credit Loans: What are they?*

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As The Name Suggests . . .

Many of you will be aware of bad credit loans and what they are, but for those of you who are perhaps unfamiliar here is a brief run down. As the name implies, these loans are intended for people with a bad, poor or insufficient credit history. Because of this, generally you can expect higher rates of interest as well as more restrictions than for ordinary loans due to the lender viewing such loans as having a higher level of risk attached. This in itself is a crucial point to remember. 

Who are they for?

In a nutshell, bad credit loans are for people who simply cannot get approved for a standard loan, this normally stems from the belief of the lender that the money might not be paid back.

So, here's a list of some of reasons why you might be refused approval for a standard loan:

1) Have a lot of debt.

2) If you have applied for loans/credit too frequently (e.g. more than once every few months).

3) Missing payments or defaulting on your accounts.

4) If you have difficulty repaying current lenders and if you receive a County Court Injunction (CCJ), Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) or Debt Management Plan.

5) If you are declared bankrupt.

6) If you don't have an extensive enough credit history yet (e.g. Could be due to one's age or being new to a country etc).

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Search For A Loan Which Suits You.

In terms of finding a loan which will help and not hinder your credit rating further I have to say it is a task made much easier thanks to online comparison websites. You can enter your details it will match your requirements against the criteria of various lenders in order to then match you with the best loan option for you.

I would say that such a product (Bad Credit Loans) Should be thought very seriously about and unless you are positive you will be able to repay it, do not go there. However, it is a simple fact of life that millions of people are struggling day to day, and especially since the crash of 2008, and there are times when a bad credit loan might be the only option you have to see you through X amount of days, weeks, or months.

Managing Your Loan.

If you manage your loan effectively, and you make repayments on time for the full term of the arrangement, then you will be able to improve your credit score gradually over time. Meaning that in future you might be able to borrow money from a greater variety of lenders while being in a position to negotiate better terms and rates of interest on future loans.

For anyone struggling to pay off debts at the moment, free advice is available so please investigate further, if you are unfamiliar with the potential benefits of a debt consolidation management plan and other forms of debt management it might well be worth your time. Here is a link for those of you in the UK and the United States.

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A Couple Of Potential Routes Into A Career In Law*

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'The Welfare Of The People Shall Be The Supreme Law'. Marcus Tullius Cicero.

'Salus populi suprema lex esto'. (In case Boris Johnson or any other Latin Lovers are reading ;)

I have always been slightly curious about Law, I considered a career in Law during my youth. I ultimately ended up going down a different route so although i didn't get a law degree, my affinity for the subject never completely waned. As such I have recently been looking into the pros and cons of studying for either an LLM in International Business Law and at some of the benefits of completing a law conversion course such as the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) in the UK. You can find out more about where the GDL is offered as a course of study here. I was always enamoured with the concept of helping to protect the innocent, both in terms of victims of crime, and miscarriages of justice. However, the notion of potentially having to defend a client you might know to be guilty is something I'd have a difficult time doing especially if the crime was something heinous. Hence I would say I am more interested in aspects of business law especially with being involved in businesses for the last ten years. I wouldn't necessarily wish to become a solicitor but such a qualification could be beneficial to me in many ways.

I believe knowledge of the law to some extent can really be of great help to any small or large business owner and again in life too, and as well as taking such a course because I am attracted by the subject itself: I also feel that by completing such a course I will be adding a string to my bow. I am still weighing up options. Of course Law is a notoriously heavy subject and it would require a tremendous amount of reading, learning and time in general. On this note it is good that there are options for differing course lengths as well as part-time or full-time study. There are some other courses out there which I am also looking into at the moment. Another example of a potential route of study might be with regards to finance or tax laws, again both skills which can help in general life and in business.

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We shall see what happens but it's an option for sure. The Graduate Diploma in Law is a great way of getting into the legal profession if you currently hold a non-law Bachelors Degree from a recognized College/Institution. I have a friend who studied geography for his bachelors then went on to study the GDL followed by studying for the Legal Practitioner's Course (LPC), he is now a fully fledged property lawyer in London. So it is useful to have an example like that as it demonstrates that it can be done this way, rather than going the more traditional route of studying for a Bachelors in Law and then onto the LPC.

Since starting this blog I've realized that knowledge of the law to some extent is helpful, especially in an industry whereby laws are changing and new regulations are frequently introduced. It helps one stay abreast of certain issues such as the recent GDPR regulations. We are all well aware of the legal requirement for transparency, to ensure full disclosure and the stricter guidelines which have come into play over the last year or so with regards to advertising and marketing especially. We also have a responsibility for the content we publish for public consumption and as such reading up about such legal issues has re-sparked my curiosity with regards to Law.

For anyone in the States looking for a personal injury attorney, Tampa or if you require a Tampa car accident attorney.

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