Study Tips

What To Look For In A College

February 2, 2012 by jennalee Leave a Comment

Whether you’re pursuing a Bachelors degree or a Masters, choosing the right educational program for you is critically important to your future. It’s not unusual to spend upwards of a year or more simply researching different schools and programs around the country. Considering the price of tuition these days, a few months of research is well worth the time.

An excellent college experience prepares young adults, and adults looking to change careers, to adapt to fluctuations in job markets, growth sectors, and academic institutions. Knowing what to look for in a college depends, to a large extent, on your careers plans and financial situation. Everyone’s will be a little different. However, there are core elements to education that can be considered universal factors. What follows is a list of a few generally held considerations that many college-bound adults address prior to choosing a college:

Confirm that you will get hands-on experience in your field. Theory is great and can lead to its own career options, but before you commit to a certain college you should make sure that your department immerses its students in plenty of hands-on experience. This includes being trained to use new software and being exposed to a learning management system that will prepare you for the integration of technology in the classroom. Lectures should be coupled with labs and workshops that allow students to learn by doing. If you’re a Film major, for example, you should get to operate a camera and learn how to edit footage with video editing software. If you’re a Biology major you should dissect specimens in order to see their anatomy in real life. Reading books, writing papers, and listening to lectures is not enough to get a well-rounded education.

Look for a school that has connections with internship programs. Interning is a wonderful way to get invaluable job experience and resume-building skills while pursing your degree. You should be mindful of whether or not your school facilitates its students acquiring summer internships. Often times these opportunities can pave the way for future jobs. At the very least, you can see whether you enjoy working in a certain field and whether or not you have an aptitude for the skills it demands. Many schools have academic connections with various companies and internship programs and will actively encourage students to apply. Some professors actually cull students from their classes for summer research projects and field expeditions. Make sure you school actively works to place its students in career-building activities and programs during the year and during breaks.

Make sure the professors you will be studying under are approachable and devoted to teaching. Many professors pursue research projects and publish articles and books during the school year. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this. In fact, it usually signifies that you’ll be learning from a person who is ambitious, intelligent and at the top of his/her field. However, it’s not impossible that these other projects will distract your professor from fully devoting him/herself to lectures and interacting with students. Sometimes, professors unload a lot of the coursework onto TAs. Just do a little research to find out how much time you will actually get learning from the person who is trained to teach at a collegiate level. If, after doing a little investigative work, you discover that the main professor you would be studying under does not hold regular office hours and its not very friendly with students, you may want to look elsewhere. An approachable professor who is devoted to teaching may be one of the most important factors in where you go to school.

Few decisions you will make in life are more important than choosing the academic institution where you want to pursue a degree. Years later, you may look back on this decision with pride, knowing it paved the way for your future career. It’s not something to be taken lightly, or to leave up to chance. Doing some background research on what kinds of internship possibilities, hands-on experience and professor interactions you will receive should allow you to make an informed decision about whether a school is right for you or not. Especially when you consider the amount of money it costs for a college education these days, it’s worth a little extra due diligence.

6 Things to Keep In Mind During Your College Visit

January 11, 2012 by Rob Berger Leave a Comment

When you’re trying to pick a college, there are numerous decisions you can consider without even stepping foot on a campus. What do you want to study? How much are you able to pay? Do you seek a small or large student body? What kind of school will accept you in the first place? All these questions, and many more like them, can be answered with some targeted research online.

But there are many other factors that can only truly be determined by setting foot on campus. You might have found a school that looks perfect on paper, with an academic focus and reputation for quality that you seek, but the college may seem completely different to you when you actually go and visit. You might not like the people. You may find the classes unappealing. The food and the dorm rooms might gross you out. People usually don’t have strongly negative reactions to schools that they liked on paper, but often times they will walk away with a mixed or negative “vibe”. Conversely, you may get a great vibe from the most unsuspecting of places.

So, if you can afford to make the trip, a campus visit can be incredibly beneficial. But what should you keep in mind as you tour and walk around? Let’s take a look at a few helpful considerations:

Things to know about college visit 1. Pay attention to vibrancy. An admissions tour can’t stage a vibrant campus, so if you visit during the school year keep an eye out for any and all signs of activity. Are students interacting on the paths between classes? Are people rushing or idling around? Is anything happening in the main quad? You also might want to look for “relative vibrancy.” For example, what building seems more vibrant – the dining hall or the library?

2. Have questions ready. One of the great aspects of a campus visit is that you are surrounded by current students of that college. Each and every student is an expert about the school, and consequently you should talk to people in an effort to gauge their opinions. Having a few questions ready beforehand can certainly help. If you can’t think of any good questions, ask students: “What do you like least about this school?” Those answers will probably be informative.

3. On the campus tour, focus on what matters to you. A campus tour will take you all around a school and will likely try to highlight the most appealing elements of the institution. Along the way, make sure that you concentrate primarily on those places that apply best to you. If you’re interested in a career in medical coding, for example, the construction of an impressive new English construction shouldn’t sway you in the least.

4. Live like a student. Spending at least part of your visit living your day like a student would. Eat at the dining hall. Sit in on a class. Watch a sporting event or athletic practice. Spend a few hours sitting in the library. Even if you expect to rarely eat on campus as a college student, for example, it is still beneficial to have a meal in the dining hall and get a feel for being a student at that school.

5. Maximize your face-to-face exposure where it most counts. Since people are usually more receptive in a face-to-face interaction, stop by the admissions office, the financial aid office, and maybe the office of a sports coach whose team you’d like to join. Doing so can convey the degree of your interest and can attach a face to you as an applicant. While this piece of advice is certainly more applicable to your admissions process, a successful meeting with financial aid may help you leave with a better vibe about the school.

6. Explore the area. Unless the college is located in a small town, you will likely spend a considerable amount of time exploring a school’s local area once you become a student. Stepping off campus during your visit and exploring the larger town or city can therefore be helpful in making your decision. Even a drive or a run around the nearby neighborhood can provide a good deal of perspective.

There are many other things you may want to keep in mind during your college visit, but hopefully this list provides you with a good starting point. Ultimately, however, even if you look for all the right things and ask all the right questions, the greatest benefit you get from a tour is the feeling in your gut the moment you walk away – the vibe. If the vibe is a good one, many of the above discussed details matter far less.

How To Cope With Your Spouse Going To Law School

December 15, 2011 by nicholas Leave a Comment

It all starts out the way you imagined. You and your spouse graduated from college, got married, moved into a house and even had your first baby. Now your spouse brings up the subject of going back to school! She has always wanted to be a lawyer but between getting married and having children it was put on the back burner. Now that things are somewhat calmed down an opportunity has presented itself. World winds of thoughts go through your head – thinking about exactly how do you become a lawyer? How much does it cost? Or how will we pay for our expenses? These questions are valid; let’s discuss some of these in a little more detail.

What Does It Take To Become A Lawyer?

Graduating from both high school and college is the first step to becoming an attorney. After getting your four year degree you need to apply and attend law school. After law school the bar exam needs to be taken and passed. Finally, a newly appointed lawyer will be sworn in and start applying for legal positions. So how long does it take to become a lawyer? Including high school, it’s an 11 year journey. Law school is typically 3 years.

How Much Does Law School Cost?

The cost of law school varies depending on where you attend. Some law schools can be as ‘cheap’ as $15 – $20,000 a year where as more prestigious law school cost upwards to $50,000 + for each year. The good news is that there is a lot of student loan options available. Interest rates are pretty reasonable and you can take out a little more then what school costs to help cover additional costs.

How Do We Pay Our Bills?

coping with law school As mentioned above, student loans are available to individuals looking to go back to further their education. Most student loan programs understand that working full time while attending school isn’t always possible. For these individuals – taking out additional loans is possible to cover bills. Yes it will need to be paid back but if you’re going to school it should be your priority. This is sometimes difficult for the spouse not going back to school to understand but it’s an important part to recognize in order to be supportive. Bills always need to be paid but you would be amazed how much you can save by just making small cuts from your normal spending patterns. For just example:

Brew your own coffee – each coffee from Caribou costs roughly $3-$5.00
Downgrade or cancel your cable – Netflix is an extremely cheap alternative to cable saving almost $50.00 per month.
Readjust cell phone plans – $5-$10 per month can be trimmed by downgrading data & texting plans.
Call up insurance companies – Do you need full insurance on your car? Can you raise your deductible on your house? These have their pros and cons but you’re looking to cut just a little from several bills. This option can save you hundreds of dollars each year.
Eat out less – Eating out is a luxury and can get expensive. If you eat out twice a week try cutting it down to one time. That can easy save $30-$50 a week for a family.

Nobody said the money aspect of going back to school would be easy but I outlined just a few options above to easily save several hundred dollars per year. When you’re living off of an income that is less then what your use to every dollar saved counts.

Being Supportive Is Hard But Rewarding

It’s never convenient for you or a spouse to go back to school. It’s a big commitment, expensive, and adds stress to the entire family. However, knowing that your significant other is happy with their career choice is very rewarding. They will remember that you stuck with them and you both can share stories and laugh about the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ experiences together. Plus as an attorney – hopefully their making some good money which is always good for future vacations and toys!

Textbooks Going Digital

December 8, 2011 by lindsey Leave a Comment

The digital revolution has already come to classrooms across the country: Students from all grade levels are using programs like Skype to video chat with virtual pen pals, playing outcome-based education games on computers, and e-mailing their teachers for help with homework. And e-books are slowly being added to the arsenal of resources used for teaching and learning. But with the price of tuition rising steadily from year to year, students aren’t likely to clamor for more expensive textbooks. Luckily, companies like Amazon and Chegg (Chegg receiving strong support and investments from CEO Rick Bolander, they will also plant a tree when you rent a textbook.) are offering students an alternative to buying digital textbooks, with options to rent books for as few as 30 days.

The e-book industry has exploded over the past couple of years, thanks to Amazon’s family of Kindle e-readers, Barnes and Noble’s Nook, and Apple’s iPad. In fact, Amazon is selling more e-books than physical books this year—but digital textbook sales aren’t nearly as brisk, despite doubling from 2.1 percent to about five percent from last spring to this fall. There are multiple factors that could be interfering with digital textbook popularity—price, availability, access to e-readers. More importantly, if publishers are eager to make the switch, they’ll have to find ways to make it easy for teachers and students to use them.

So, what can publishers and educators do to make digital textbooks more financially viable and popular among students? And how can digital textbooks be used to enhance the learning experience? I thought you’d never ask.

More than just a book

There are advantages of going digital with your textbooks, particularly for college students: carrying dozens of books on one small device instead of a heavy backpack is just one. But a simple digital copy of a paper book doesn’t do students much good if there aren’t any interactive features or additional content. Academic publishers are designing digital texts that include videos, interactive exercises, and other elements of multimedia. Features like these can encourage collaboration among students making it easier to trade notes and participate in discussion forums. For college students earning online degrees, a digital text that can interact with other readers which can be remarkably valuable.

Name your price

Of course, a digital textbook with bells and whistles will almost certainly cost a lot to produce—and those costs will be passed on to consumers. But with the price of tuition rising steadily from year to year, students aren’t likely to clamor for more expensive textbooks. Luckily, companies like Amazon and Chegg are offering students an alternative to buying digital textbooks, with options to rent books for as few as 30 days. Many e-books allow users to take notes—an important feature for college students—and rented digital texts allow students to keep the notes they’ve “written” in their books. With apps for mobile phones and tablets, students can read and take notes wherever they are. This doesn’t solve the problem for students who prefer to keep their books from previous semesters, but it does offer some relief for students interested in using technology instead of traditional paper books.

Although the Internet and advances in computer technology have shaped the way students learn now, digital textbooks have a long way to go before they’re fully integrated into school resources. As more publishers invest time and money into producing digital textbooks—and as more teachers and students begin to choose them over paper books—sales may begin to grow as quickly as the rest of the digital book market.

Grockit Tries to Level an Important Field

November 10, 2011 by lindsey Leave a Comment

When high school students prepare for college, there’s an almost endless list of things to do: set up college visits, apply for financial aid, and fill out school applications. But one of the most challenging tasks on the college to-do list is taking college entrance exams like the SAT and ACT.

About half of the students who take those exams don’t study for them, meaning that millions of students take the test without any prior experience with the tests and the materials on them. And while there are classes and tutors devoted solely to helping kids get ready for the exams, many students either can’t afford the prep sessions or don’t live near exam preparation providers.

Internet startup Grockit (a clever named based on a word for learning, from sci-fi novel Stranger in a Strange Land) plans to help students improve their scores and get them ready for college. With their online interface and social media components, Grockit’s goal is to give students access to the resources they need to perform better on college entrance exams. As online learning becomes increasingly popular and more effective, companies like Grockit are filling a market need for educational programs that serve students wherever they are.

The “everywhere” classroom

Grockit review The upcoming presidential election has made the state of education a hot topic, but it’s a constant concern for parents, school administrations, and colleges and universities. As school budgets tighten and college tuitions rise, more students and their families feel like receiving a quality education is becoming difficult. Online learning has been suggested as an alternative to spending capital on physical resources like school buildings and transportation for students. While Grockit focuses on college entrance exams, other startups have worked to make both high school and college education accessible and affordable for students in low-income and rural neighborhoods. And Grockit’s partnership with Facebook demonstrates the increasing role that social media is playing in how students learn and share with their classmates. The ability to reach students everywhere—and the ability for students to collaborate with each other online—is providing companies like Grockit with the momentum they need to be successful.

Changing the college landscape

The rise of companies like Grockit has the potential to help students improve their scores on college entrance exams, but there’s potential for more than just higher SAT scores. The more students who are accepted into colleges and universities, the more diverse the college student body will become. And online education can play a role in accommodating a growing student population as well: online colleges and universities can provide students with the opportunity to attend school without moving away from home or spending money on housing and transportation.

Grockit and online education resources like it are just a small part of the movement to make education available to any student who wants it and to give every student a chance to succeed and move on to higher education. As the Internet and social media become more intertwined with education, Grockit is set up to make a significant impact on how students learn.

How to Avoid the Common Pitfalls of Freshman Year

August 31, 2011 by cmontrose Leave a Comment

Your first year of college sets the tone for your next four years of school. From the first day of orientation, your friends, class selection and general attitude will shape the kind of student that you will become. For many it is an exciting and prosperous time, but for some the first year of college can be a stressful one. Make the most of your freshman year by finding balance and surrounding yourself with people who help you succeed.

Choose your classes wisely. Remember that for some, college is one big party. Don’t be sucked in by friends to take the “easiest” classes with the most lenient professors. Keep an open mind and do your research. Try to choose classes that you are interested in. Remember that for some, criminal justice may be excruciatingly hard, but for someone interested in the field the hard work could be enjoyable.

Freshman students avoid common pitfalls Work hard, play hard. College is a great opportunity to enjoy new freedom and explore a new place. Be careful what you do with that freedom though. For many new freshmen, living away from home means partying every night. Enjoy the social scene at your school, but remain balanced. If you have a big test, study and reward yourself with a night out when it is finished. Avoid peer pressure by setting your own limits and sticking to them. It may be hard to turn down a night out with new friends, but you’ll be establishing your dedication to your work early on and your friends won’t bother you in the future if they know you’ve stayed in to study.

Set limits with your new roommate. For many having a roommate is a new experience. Students who know their roommates in advance and those who don’t face a similar set of problems. Set ground rules, whether you know your roommate or not. If you have early classes on a certain day, be sure to tell your roommate and ask them to be courteous. Speaking openly and honestly from the beginning is a good way to start off on the right foot. If you have a problem, address it as soon as possible in a non confrontational, non judgmental way. Remember that your roommate probably comes from a completely different background, and you may need to compromise. Try to assume best intentions, and speak up.

Choose your friends well. Going away to college is a great way to meet new people and learn from people with different experiences. It can be overwhelming to meet so many different types of people, especially if your school has a large Greek Life population. Many communication studies show that we are heavily influenced by our friends in college. Making a conscious decision to surround yourself with positive people who will help you succeed is essential. Keep an open mind at orientation and don’t make snap judgments. Attend the freshman mixers and activities and strike up new conversations. Keep in mind that everyone is in the same boat as you, and they are all looking for new friends as well.

8 Weird College Majors

January 23, 2011 by Rob Berger Leave a Comment

Going to college can be an exciting time, but what will you do with your degree when your college days are done? If you major in one of the eight areas listed below, you might have a few issues getting a “normal” job – but that’s not always a bad thing.

1. Parapsychology
Ever wanted to be a ghost buster? That’s essentially what you’ll be qualified to do with a parapsychology degree. Chasing poltergeists and talking to the dead are just a couple of the things you’ll learn in this two-year program.

2. Sports Ministry
Yes, really. You can get a degree that shows you how to use working in sports – like little league or a non-profit – can be a great avenue for teaching people about religion. Whether that’s ethical isn’t really addressed, but you will learn how to be a good witness, and you’ll practice team-building skills. Those aren’t necessarily bad things.

weirdest college majors 3. Medical Marijuana Growing
You really can get a degree in growing weed. Because there are so many people using medical marijuana today, and it’s becoming much more accepted to do so, it’s possible that this degree will actually be useful in the future.

4. Bowling Industry Management
You’d have to really love bowling to want to go into the industry, but this degree will show you how to run a pro shop, care for lanes, and handle pinsetter mechanics. A lot of bowling alleys seem to be closing up, so it’s hard to say whether this degree will actually provide you with anything useful, but it’s definitely a conversation starter.

5. Winemaking
What a deal. You can get a degree that says you know how to turn grapes into alcohol. Some winemakers do make a lot of money, but it still seems like an odd thing to go to school for and attain a degree in.

6. The Beatles, Popular Music and Society
It’s a master’s program, and two nights a week for a year. Who knows what in the world you could ever do with a degree like that. Practical usage doesn’t even come into play.

7. Boiler Making
Does anyone even use boilers anymore? As society moves toward more green energy options and continues to explore different ways to bring power to people’s homes and businesses, it’s hard to imagine this skill still being useful.

8. Comic Book Art
This one might actually be valuable. Sure, it’s weird, but there are a lot of comic books out there. Someone has to draw them, and they’ve got to get paid for it – or at least they should get paid for it. With Manga and other styles of Japanese comics gaining ground throughout the world, the demand for people to draw comics in various styles is likely to keep going up.

There you have it. Eight of the weirdest college majors available today. Some of these are only offered at one particular school, and others are offered at various places around the country and around the world. When it comes to choosing a major, these options offer something that deviates from “the norm.” No matter where you find them, they’re definitely different when it comes to the education and career field.

If you found the previous article informative, you should check out more in our distance education section, or read some of these articles below:

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How Much Does College Really Matter?

January 14, 2011 by rpalmer Leave a Comment

The question of how much a college education really matters in the workplace has often been swept aside by the impassioned arguments of professors, government officials and other wise adults who maintain that a traditional liberal arts education is every student’s best shot at success. Simultaneously, many college students and recent graduates become frustrated when they gain employment and learn that much of their coursework is irrelevant to everyday work life.

Keeping erudite subjects such as calculus or ancient history in mind, the question then becomes, what makes a university educated student different from one with only a high school diploma or GED, and how much is that difference worth?

Austere pro-college groups start with an economic argument. Over a lifetime of labor, college graduates make a return of about 12 percent on the investment of a four-year education, they point out. That’s true even when you take into account the years spent studying instead of working, according to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics.

The same study found that student ability has declined as enrollment rates in four-year schools have increased, and that around 600,000 students a year quit college before graduating. Those students fare less well economically than workers who hold bachelor degrees. However, the dropouts still have to pay tens of thousands in student loan debt. State universities and some private schools have been coping with this dropout factor for years. It’s also becoming an issue among those seeking online education degrees.

Increasingly, the gap between workers who come to the table just out of high school and those who spend years earning bachelor’s degrees is being narrowed by vocational schooling, two-year colleges and online degree programs that specialize in quick completion times for working adults. Higher education courses are available in-person and online throughout the U.S.

Certifications and training that come from these nontraditional schools can be a great solution for students with more passion for a craft than a burning desire to become lifelong learners. And it extends beyond the fact that jobs such as plumbing or hairdressing can’t be outsourced. Instead, recognize that this type of post-secondary education makes for a community where each individual can pursue his or her passion to the utmost. This training vs. educating model is true even for jobs that require heavy-duty interaction with computers. There will always be people interested in the philosophical questions of modern technology or the meaning of Shakespearean sonnets, and universities should always be available to them. However, that kind of academic experience will probably be lost on students who yearn for the immediacy of firing pistons or baking gourmet desserts.

The next major ivory tower theory made by four-year university proponents is that the college experience isn’t as much about what students learn at school as it is proof that they can responsibly complete vigorous intellectual programs. It’s the hackneyed “jumping through hoops” argument. Upon close examination, though, nontraditional learning opportunities offer a better answer for many students. Young adults can prove their ability to complete tasks relevant to their futures just as well as they can prove that ability by memorizing the table of elements or the location of tectonic plates. For example, imagine a young woman with a passion for cutesy cupcakes. Her successful small business organized around culinary artwork is far better proof of her ability to follow through than her grade on an introductory literary course would be.

The national paradigm concerning post-secondary education is already changing to one based on appreciating skill rather than admiring raw academic talent, as manifested by changing rules for federal student loans. High schools are also changing by improving programs for occupational training and sending students to community colleges or technology colleges.

Recognize that depending on your interests and abilities, the time and financial investment of a traditional college education may be unwise. As American philosopher Henry David Thoreau put it way back in the 19th century, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you have imagined.”

If you found the previous article informative, you should check out more in our distance education section, or read some of these articles below:

Managing Fear and Stress in College

January 5, 2011 by Stan Popovich Leave a Comment

Everybody in college deals with fear and stress, however some college students have a difficult time in managing it. As a result, here is a brief list of techniques that a college student can use to help manage their most persistent fears and every day anxieties.

A major fear that many college students face is the fear of not passing some of their classes. Some classes are more difficult than others and some professors can give out pretty tough exams. The key is to keep up with your study assignments on a weekly basis, attend class, and do the assignments. If you wait till the night before to study for an exam the chances are you will have some trouble. Also, use the help of a teacher’s assistant. A teacher’s assistant knows in advance how a professor’s exams are and asking them questions can give you an advantage of what to expect. Most importantly, not passing a class is not the end of the world. Even the best students don’t always pass all of their classes during their college years.

Sometimes we get stressed out when everything happens all at once. When this happens, a person should take a deep breath and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind off of the problem. A person could get some fresh air, listen to some music, or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things. This will help clear your head and help you focus on what you need to do.

Don’t put things off till the last minute. Regardless how smart you may be, putting things off just adds more unnecessary stress. Do what you need to do on a timely basis and also learn to plan ahead.

fear and stress in college Every college student should take a skills assessment test to find out what their skills and interests are in terms of a future career. A student can also talk to guidance counselor who can give additional information. Choosing the right major which takes advantage of your interests and skill sets will save you a lot of time and money. Many students just pick a major because its sounds interesting. What usually happens is that they take these difficult classes and in a year later, they discover they are in the wrong field. Do some homework on yourself and find out what your skills and interests are before picking a major. This will save you a lot of grief in the long run.

Learn to take it one day at a time. Instead of worrying about how you will get through the rest of the week, try to focus on today. Each day can provide us with different opportunities to learn new things and that includes learning how to deal with your problems. You never know when the answers you are looking for will come to your doorstep. We may be ninety-nine percent correct in predicting the future, but all it takes is for that one percent to make a world of difference. Do not assume anything.

Learn from your mistakes. If you do lousy on an exam, try to find out what you did wrong. Instead of getting upset and discouraged, review your test with your professor and find out what you did wrong. By doing this, you won’ t make the same mistakes the next time around. Make this a habit for all of your classes and your fears and anxieties will be reduced during exam time.

Take advantage of the help that is available around you. If possible, talk to a professional in your college’s student counseling department who can help you manage your depression, anxieties, and other fears. They will be able to provide you with additional advice and insights on how to deal with your current problem. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with their problems in the future. Remember that it never hurts to ask for help.

Facebook, the Open Graph and Game Dynamics – Controlling Your Online Future

January 2, 2011 by Rob Berger Leave a Comment

To really appreciate the role of game dynamics in allowing marketers to better uncover and exploit consumer trends both now and particularly in the future, we need to take a closer look at the most influential of all websites, the one that is using game dynamics to the fullest extent – Facebook.

Although any marketer can utilize game dynamics to some extent, no company is better poised to take the fullest advantage of the data that is being gleaned from the use of game dynamics every second of every day. Facebook’s entire business model revolves around the data that is collected through consumers never ending desire to take part in various implementations of these game dynamics – particularly with “friending” and social commenting. These two game dynamics in particular are what makes this data so valuable to marketers.

Building Identity Into The Internet

Before covering the technical aspects of integrating Facebook’s Open Graph and how it will be, and is being utilized to exploit consumer trends, it’s important to keep in mind the stated goal of Facebook – building identity into the Internet. This cannot be overstated – the most groundbreaking thing Facebook accomplished was to convince the world to identify themselves online. Before Facebook, you could be whoever, or whatever you wanted to be online. Although this anonymity was instrumental in the growth of the Internet, it is the erosion of that anonymity that will open up marketing options that have never been seen before.

Facebook – Open Graph Technology

Facebook accomplished this simply by providing a platform for people to accumulate “friends”, share photos, become fans of pages, businesses, celebrities, TV shows, sports teams, movies, politicians etc. all of which has added what has been called the “identity layer” over the existing web. However, what separates Facebook from various other social networks is it’s Open Graph technology. The Open Graph is a set of protocols developed by Facebook that enables other sites to integrate with Facebook.

This is useful for 3rd party sites because it essentially takes over the log-in system allowing visitors to be automatically logged in to a site even if they have never visited that site before. Getting new visitors to register for a site has always been one of the more difficult things for site owners to do because people don’t like to remember a plethora of log-in credentials for all of the various sites they frequent. This can be a big convenience for site owners and visitors alike. Once logged in, users tend to become more engaged with a site by commenting, sharing links, and using the integrated “Like” button to share pages with others. This is good for site owners because it increases traffic and exposure. As an added incentive to get site owners to integrate the Open Graph protocol into their websites, Facebook is giving priority to external sites that are integrated when users do a search on Facebook. With hundreds of millions of searches each day, this is almost the equivalent of having one’s website indexed by another Google, so the desire to tap into this new search base should prove huge and will no doubt speed integration across the web. There are already over 250,000 sites integrated into the Open Graph and the number is growing daily.

Facebook Using Game Dynamics to Manipulate You

The Open Graph appears to be good for the visitor as well, because it takes advantage of game dynamics to cater to a visitors sense of importance, and desire to participate in a community, in addition to the more practical convenience of having a universal log-in. Most importantly, it’s good for Facebook because they are able to collect enormous amounts of data on their 500 million users likes and dislikes, as well as the level of connection and influence that each user has on another user. With this data, Facebook can construct extremely detailed profiles on each and every user, allowing a level of marketing depth that dwarfs demographics and other standard targeting.

All of this data will enable Facebook to provide a far more effective search mechanism for the web by taking into account your likes and dislikes, friends recommendations and their likes and dislikes, users past browsing habits, etc. Since users will conceivably always be logged into Facebook even when they are not actually on Facebook (due to the Open Graph being integrated across the web), they will be able to collect data on users that can be used to show far more relevant ads – even to users that aren’t on Facebook.

How You Will Help Facebook Control The World

Facebook is already the undisputed king of display advertising. According to the most recent comScore rankings, Facebook controls 23% of all display ad impressions online, which is more than twice as many as Yahoo, and ten times as many as Google. Although Google still controls the majority of the PPC ad inventory, Facebook has their own PPC platform in place and is in a prime position to use their data to provide advertisers a very compelling reason to reconsider their ad spend.

With the Open Graph integration, site owners will soon be given the opportunity to allow Facebook to handle all of their advertising placements (display and PPC), much the way Google and Yahoo have for the last decade. With the superior targeting that will be available thanks to the data gleaned from the Open Graph, site owners will undoubtedly see improved click through rates due to increased customer interest, and higher payments per click due to advertisers willingness to pay more per click for targeted traffic – all of which puts more money into the site owners pockets. Advertisers will no longer have to guess at your race, sex, education level, interests etc., because you’ve already provided that info in your Facebook profile. Targeting directly to a consumers interests will become, like the proverbial “shooting fish in a barrel”.

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