With the technological expansion of the Internet, distance learning degrees have become increasingly popular. With great support facilities and the convenience of online degree programs, parents and workers can still have a family and a job while receiving an education. Unfortunately, the Internet has also provided an avenue for individuals making money by selling bogus degrees over the Internet. In a 2003 report by USA Today, 400 diploma mills are already in operation, with the shameful industry already worth $500 million per year, and the numbers are still rising.

Nevertheless, many colleges and universities are now offering legitimate degrees and diplomas. Unlike the mills, institutions of higher learning are doing everything possible to provide the same quality of education offered to students in the traditional learning environment. With access to video lectures, online courses, innovative online testing methods, and virtual library facilities, those seeking distance learning degrees can rest assured their diplomas have been justly earned. Unfortunately, many employers’ views have been tainted because of the influx of fake degrees.

To address the misinformation, 6 accreditation agencies have been authorized by the U.S. National Education Board to weed out the unscrupulous bogus programs. Then, the agencies give accreditation to the colleges and universities that meet the minimum standards for legitimate learning institutions. In addition, the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) also provide accreditation specifically to distance learning schools. The DETC has the backing of both the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the Department of Education. Therefore the students can rest assured their education has matched, and often exceeded that of their traditional peers.

In addition, specific programs in specialized areas can obtain accreditation through the agencies associated with the subject matter. For example, the American Health Information Management Association provides accreditation for qualifying health programs; accounting programs are assessed by the International Association for Management Education. However, it only counts if the agencies are endorsed by the Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

So, to verify the educational quality of any institution, students, parents, and potential employers should be concerned about accreditation status. If any college or university has that coveted seal of approval, it means distance learning degrees have met the same basic standards of excellence with the support and facilities necessary to adequately offer online degree programs. Conversely, specialized accreditation concentrates on evaluating the course curriculum based upon the established standards of the university or college.

Accreditation assures employers, parents and students that a respective college awarding degrees has undergone and passed a stringent test of excellence in offering quality education in the respective areas of training. On the other hand, diploma mills and fake colleges don’t meet the same standards of education imposed by the agencies since they don’t possess any legitimate accreditation. Thus courses taken by prospective employees that are accredited by the respective agencies would have met standards imposed on the respective specialized areas.

In the end, it is totally up to potential employers to decide whether to hire an individual with a distance learning degree. With skepticism influenced by all the bogus diploma mills, no wonder they are being more cautious. Therefore, if the accreditation is supplied by a trusted and recognized source, the application for a job is less likely to be set aside. Instead, it has a better chance to be found in the stack for a second interview or final selection for a job position.

Get help, tips and resources on campus-based colleges and universities and accredited distance learning degrees and courses on specialized programs.

Why not have an awesome career doing something you already love? For example, do you enjoy testing the newest software products on the market? Do you like to work with computers and learn new programs? Then, you need an online IT degree. After graduation, here are some of the fantastic jobs needing talented people like you: Interface designer, Systems analyst, Database administrator, Software Support Software engineer, Computer engineer, Computer programmer,Network Administrator.

Each of these careers is rewarding and necessary as more and more companies are in need of those who can use this technology to further their businesses. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, over half of all computer programmers have at least a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field. This means that earning a computer science degree online will increase your chances of finding your dream job.

What education will you receive with an online IT degree?

A career in Computer Security, informational technology, or any of the other dream careers mentioned, can be attained with an online degree. The quality of education is exactly the same. However, you can still be gainfully employed and maintain a family life. Forget going to class, study when most convenient, and do not fight for a parking space. Attend classes online from the comforts of home. While you are earning an online IT degree, expect to learn the following and more: Hardware and software design, Software development, Troubleshooting, Networking, Data Security, Database management, Web design, Develop security plans.

As companies continue to grow and advance in the technological age, specialized departments are often necessary keep the businesses up and running, including maintaining open lines of communication with consumers and employees. Companies geared toward manufacturing and computers need talented individuals with expertise in developing new software and hardware to keep up with consumer needs and desires. With so many options, IT students will need to discover their niche of particular interest.

How to choose an online IT degree

First, a career decision needs to be made. Find out which IT positions are responsible for most of the hiring. For example, the need for computer programmers seems to be on the decline since 2006. Conversely, the need for computer support and information security is increasing.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, over the next few years, computer support positions are expected to increase by 13%. This means that you should choose a program that allows you to easily find employment immediately upon graduation. A computer degree online that focuses on a certain area within computer science is best if you have a particular talent in that area. You can also choose to become a generalist that specializes in a number of areas. Another pointer is to ensure you choose a computer science or IT program from an online college that is accredited.

Earning an online IT degree in any of the specialized areas mentioned above will provide the opportunity to gain the expertise, in great demand, that will translate into a fulfilling and lucrative career. You chances of finding a good job right out of college are greater. In fact, potential employers may come looking for you, and offer you a place in the company immediately after graduation.

The author specializes in articles on legit distance learning colleges including online IT degree programs programs.

With the rise in demand for online bachelor degrees, many bogus learning institutions have mushroomed over the internet with the sole intention of taking advantage of innocent students seeking for a genuine degree. These so-called “Colleges” often attract applicants with their attractive degree programs which are boasts of easy graduation, low tuition fees, no examinations and credit given for life experience, all of which just sound too good to be true. Some of them even go to the extent of prospecting for customers by sending out bulk email citing university degrees for sale.

Therefore, with all the confusion generated, how can students sieve out the genuine from the bogus? This may be especially difficult for distance learning programs when students practically make their choices based on what is shown on a website. In many cases, especially for international students, it may not be feasible to visit the physical site of a college before enrolling. With this, making choices will really depend on the appearance and content of a website, which sometimes may not be an accurate judge of the creditability of a college.

One of the best ways to determine credibility is to pay close attention to how the credentials are stated. For example, if an educational institution claims to have nationwide or worldwide accreditation, without revealing which government agency provided the accreditation, it’s possible the college or university probably does not possess the necessary seal of approval to provide legitimate online Bachelor degrees.

Six accreditation agencies have been given the authority to award college accreditation. The agencies are divided by geographic location, so it is possible to contact the appropriate office to determine whether a college or university has legitimate standing and been registered in that district. The agencies are all appointed by the National Board of Education and include: New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), North Central Association of Schools and Colleges (NCA), Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges (MSA), Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS), Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (NWCCU).

If a university sends out mass e-mailings offering on online Bachelor degrees, Master’s Degree, and even Doctorate degrees for a fixed rate, it is a sure sign the result will be a bogus degree. Course credits for such a degree may include such strange elements as: credit for life experiences, work experience, previous educational background, workshops, community services, travel, and books read in the past. To further confuse the issue, fake accrediting URLS are set up to prove accreditation, but unless it is from one of the 6 agencies endorsed by the Department of Education, the award is most likely phony. The unscrupulous institutions depend on the desperation of people who do not have the time, or the money, to earn a valid degree. Nevertheless, without that all-important diploma, good jobs are impossible to find.

In conclusion, as the awareness on bogus degrees increases amongst prospective employers, degrees obtained through a legitimate avenue of education can sometimes be mistaken for bogus online bachelor degrees too. Therefore, the best approach to select a college would ideally be based on legitimate college accreditation awarded by the appointed authorities to the respective colleges.

The author writes about accredited distance learning colleges and various online bachelor degrees and courses

Beliefs determine how we see, interact and experience the world around us. Beliefs are ideas that are made after repetition and contemplation, that are accepted as truth and reality and therefore impact how we see life.

Belief and knowledge are often in conflict. The difference might be subtle, but substantial. Knowledge is something that you and others, who might be considered experts in that field, consider to be true and there is reasonable, plausible, and provable scientific explanation for that knowledge.

A belief on the other hand is based on personal experience or pure faith.

Too many people require you to accept their belief based on blind faith. Belief is not knowledge and therefore usually not provable beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Remember, it wasn’t long ago that people believed the world was flat, and that we thought women were witches, hunted them down, and burned them.

Welcome to belief, which is based on superstitions, or blindness.

Stupid humans who once believed that the Earth was the center of the universe, and that it was flat. Really it demonstrated that what really was FLAT was the human ability to think outside the box and perceive something that others could not perceive.

When scientists discovered great things, hundreds of years ago, they were imprisoned, tortured and murdered. The Catholic Church did not want people to see beyond, and therefore stopped the voices of these researchers.

Actually, during that time in history it was thought to be common knowledge that these ancient flat world beliefs were true. Even though humankind was sincere in its ignorant beliefs, those beliefs were false and by not believing as the others told you to, you were subject to arrest, imprisonment, and torture which often lead to death.

Times have changed. Today, things that you believe have changed, and you may believe in something so firmly that you count it as knowledge. When, in fact, there may be considerable evidence from the past experience that a particular belief is a truth,” its only truth for you from your personal experience. Just because you believe it is true, does not make it true. Although it might become a truth for you personally, by believing it you are limiting yourself by holding on to self-limiting beliefs.

The trick is to pull back the veneer and see the real truth. That is one that is universal and does not need to be believed, it just is. These are referred to as universal truths. They exist and work beyond our own self-limiting beliefs. They shape and work through the universe and in our lives.

Gravity is a truth. Believe in it or not. Its still a real truth. If you drop something it will fall to the ground. If you trip, and fall, you could hurt your butt. You can only fall DOWN, you don’t fall up.

Now this is only a truth that exists here on Earth under normal circumstances. There are other forces that can resist this law such as a strong wind. You may have been programmed since childhood to believe things that you thought to be true - but, once you realized that they were not true, you may have wondered why you wasted time and energy believing in them at all.

Take the case of Santa Claus. You believed he was real. You believed that by some mystical miracle he went around the world in one night and brought presents to every well-behaved child. You may have further believed that he ate the burnt cookies you left for him and he drank that horrible lactose free milk. You believe that it was all related to your doing good things and not bad things, and that Santa was well, almost like God!

There was potent evidence to your faith:

Your parents told you he was real. (You trusted your parents without question)

The cookies were disappeared and the milk glass was empty. Even the crumbs disappeared.

There were presents under the Christmas tree in the morning.

You saw Santa at the supermarket, and you had a picture of Santa to prove it.

Your friends believed in him also.

All of this evidence pointed toward knowledge, you just knew he existed. It pointed to a truth in that not only did you know he existed, everyone around you knew also. This belief as you found out was not true. It had shaped your view of the world as a child and still may have a lingering impact on your current belief system.

The point is that there are other things that you may believe are true, but are not. You have been told things all your life for a variety of reasons: to make you feel better, to be funny, to hurt you, because other people believed it was true, and for other noble and not so noble reasons. You made the choice whether to believe what was being told you. You weighed this information and decided whether it fit or not into your already existing belief system. You either rejected the idea straight out, accepted it as part of what you already believed, or it changed your belief system.

Beliefs are very powerful, and they do shape our reality. If you believe in something strong enough, it becomes real in your life. There is a universal law that states that likes attract like. If you believe in something strong enough it not only becomes your reality, it attracts similar things to your life.

Suppose you believe you are clumsy. Your parents said you were clumsy, your coach as school did and so did your friends. They told you that you were an accident waiting to happen. You thought this to be true. Your whole life you tripped over your shadow. Not only did you believe this, but you also created that reality and circumstances of being clumsy.

Examine your beliefs and draw back the veil. Well, Ill be. They seem to have constantly hypnotized me to trip myself up — all my life — well, I’ll be! And, then - you don’t have to be! It’s all your belief.

Dr. Jay Polmar, author of Thinkright, was a teacher and instructor at colleges and universities in the Southwest and Hawaii about the quality and power of Thought being an active force in creating the quality of your life. Learn more in Thinkright.

Change the quality of your future with ThinkRight ThinkRight and have a great life!, and ThinkRight and have a great life! Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

Attaining an online education degree has opened opportunities for many students, especially those who find paying for traditional full-time courses outside their reach. But as much as acquiring an online education degree has many benefits over traditional learning, many factors play a role in order to make it successful for online students. Because of the differences in the way that online education is disseminated and acquired, some amendments in approaching this mode of learning need be put in place to make it a success.

1. Choosing the right accredited online college or university - The first step is to select the right institution to provide for your online education degree. Do your homework before starting school, and make sure the school has been accredited by the appropriate accrediting agencies. Unfortunately, without that educational stamp of approval, the degree will not be worth the paper on which it is printed. In fact, “diploma mills” offer substandard, or no education with the promise of a quick (but worthless) degree.

2. Evaluate the cost and benefits - Generally, obtaining an online education is a costly venture. Most people do not realize the cost is often more than a traditional education. So, it is important to evaluate the desired online education degree, and determine whether the benefit of future income opportunities will offer the reward for gaining an online degree.

3. Degree validation by employers - No wonder many employers are wary of online degrees. With bogus institutions literally selling degrees, employers have good reason to be doubtful and cautious. Therefore, immediately alleviate any potential misgivings by your prospective employer by offering verification of accreditation through an agency sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Education and CHEA.

4. Practice discipline, intrinsic motivation, and good time management - In the beginning, students may not fully comprehend the discipline necessary to stay focused and keep pace with online classes. It takes strong intrinsic motivation to succeed without the classroom atmosphere and peers. Time management is critical. Setting up communication with other students will be most helpful on the road to success.

5. Utilize all the facilities provided - Online courses generally provide online lectures and email correspondence to ensure a means of communication with instructors, tutors, and fellow students. Take advantage of every opportunity to utilize these resources of motivation and encouragement, as well as establish a sense of connection with the college or university.

6. Make use of Credit transfers - Even institutions solely dedicated to the online education degree will generally accept some, or all, of the credits obtained from another accredited online college or university. So, to avoid the expense and time necessary to retake unneeded courses, make the effort to obtain official transcripts. Then, the applicable credits can be transferred, bringing the student a little closer to that coveted diploma.

7. Take advantage of technology to complete your class work - Another factor for online education degree success is the opportunity to take advantage of all the conveniences that technology provides. Many accredited online colleges provide students with online digital libraries, databases and resources that a student can use to complete their course work and assignments. In most instances the cost of these facilities is already included in the tuition fees. Thus it makes good sense to make full use of these resources to your advantage.

See additional information about online accredited colleges and programs together with education degree online programs specializations.

If you are not yet familiar with the phrase, Lucid Dreaming is a relatively simple concept. A Lucid Dream is a dream where you are aware that you are dreaming, even while in the middle of it. The degree of lucidity depends on a few things ” how much control you can exert over events in the dream, how much of the dream you can remember upon waking and how stable the dream is.

Control over your dream is the most important element of Lucid Dreaming. It is an incredible experience to be in the midst of a dream and to know that you are in fact dreaming. You are in control of everything in your dream and can have any experience you choose to have.

Just consider that for a moment. Lucid Dreaming looks, feels and engages all of your other senses as if it were really happening but you know that you are only dreaming and will be totally safe no matter what you do. This is the kind of virtual reality experience which computer experts can only dream of.

Lucid dreaming is an incredible skill that more and more people are mastering. Having a Lucid Dream is something almost everyone experiences very occasionally, but just imagine how exhilarating it would be if you could Lucid Dream whenever you want to!

A Lucid Dream offers you the chance to have any experience you can imagine. You can meet and hang out with your favorite celebrities and historical figures, have erotic experiences, visit other worlds, speak with a long lost loved one; anything at all! There are no limits other than your imagination.

But experiencing regular and controlled Lucid Dreams can actually be fairly complicated to achieve. Certainly until recently people would spend months going through an instruction training and self-conditioning procedure prior to obtain familiarity to their first lucid dream. Often people would manage to have but brief instants of lucidity, whereas others never succeed in it at all.

So are there any simple ways of experiencing a Lucid Dream?

Some people report that certain foods can encourage Lucid Dreaming if consumed shortly before sleeping ” Mustard, Orange Juice and dairy products among them.

Also recommended by some are ice cream, popcorn, pickles and fish. Some people say that these foods are ideal for preparing your mind for Lucid Dreaming ” but of course, many of these are high in salt and fat, which isn’t very conducive t a good night’s sleep.

Can Technology Assist You?

New technologies can make it somewhat easier to experience Lucid Dreaming. There are devices which can help to stimulate you to have Lucid Dreams such as eyeshades and sleep masks which activate a LED when rapid eye movements are detected. This light reminds you that you are dreaming; letting you take control of the dream!

Another of the new developments is an audio technology known as binaural beats. Different frequencies are played in each ear of the listener; this has been found to be helpful in achieving Lucid Dreams.

What this process does is to synchronize the two hemispheres of the brain. And almost instantly, just by listening to these special frequencies, puts the brainwaves into a state known as REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep which is the state needed to achieve a lucid dream.

For anyone wondering what it is like to experience a Lucid Dream, then this is definitely the easiest and most reliable way of getting started!

The author Colleen Rikke writes for the popular http://www.luciddreaminginfo.com site. You can enjoy the incredible experience of lucid dreams for yourself and get 29 Free lucid dreaming Binaural and hypnosis mp3 audios when you visit here.

Check to ensure the college is accredited by a legitimate accrediting agency. Accreditation means the college and its programs meet certain set educational quality and standards. This also means courses and credits acquired can be easily transferred to another accredited institution, whether online or brick and mortar college. You will stand a better chance of securing employment or promotion at work if you have an accredited degree.

Degree mills and fake colleges - today the internet is flooded with fraud and fake accrediting institutions that give “accreditation” to any willing organization at a fee. Be safe and stay on the look-out for such institutions when you’re choosing your online distance education college. There are always “tell-tale” signs of institutions that are not legitimately accredited. If in doubt, check with the United Stated Department of Education or CHEA to find out if the college you are interested in is accredited.

Before you choose an online college, it’s also important to think about what your long-terms plans and goals are as far as your education is concerned. Incase you intend to pursue further education, think about if you’ll need to transfer credits from one college to another. With this knowledge you’ll be able to choose a college that allows and accepts credit transfers.

Class size plays a big role in an online distance education college as it does in a traditional classroom. The smaller the better, thus you should investigate the class size of the institution you wish to join.

Find out if the faculty hold any credentials and if they are qualified to teach the program you want to enroll in. If you can dig further to find out what degrees they hold and if they are experienced in teaching online students, this will save you the distress of finding out later that your instructor is a fellow un-qualified student with no education skills.

Support is very important to your success of online distance education program. Make sure you find if any and what level of support you will get from instructors, faculty and technical staff should you have problems with your classes or experience technical difficulties. Select a college that meets your standards of expectations.

Most colleges have their online classes rolling out all the time. This is a great thing and makes learning flexible. As such you should not feel pressured by the admission office or anyone else to start your program right away. You should start only when you feel your mind is set to it. This will ensure you stay motivated and put the effort you need to succeed with your classes.

Verify whether during the course of your program, there are classes that will require residency or if you will be able to complete the entire program online. This will help you prepare in advance.

Many online colleges have some form of financial aid or tuition assistance, loans, grants, scholarships available to their online students. You will be surprised at what you can qualify for. Many online schools offer tuition payment plans and employee reimbursement programs. Make sure you ask what tuition programs are available to you.

Don’t settle for less than quality programs and education when selecting your online distance education program. Unlike there before, when online degree options were severely limited, it is now possible for those willing to spend some time gathering information to find almost exactly the degree program that meets their needs.

Find more online distance education resources and discover why college accreditation is important to your education.

Do you feel unwanted? Are you suffering from addiction of any sort? Are you always being bullied or victimized for a reason you doesn’t even know? Do you have anger issues? How about your relationships, are they good? Do you seem to lack something even though you almost have everything?

If one or more of these areas plagues your life and you have tried all the traditional methods for dealing with them but you cannot seem to shake them. Then read this article you could be a prime candidate for Regression Therapy and not even know it!

According to the Past Life Therapy Center, Regression Therapy means facing the dark to encourage the light. It is a category of hypnotic therapy wherein the client is being assisted by a therapist to return to his past experiences with his mind still being conscious.

These past experiences can include experiences from the adulthood of the client, their adolescence; even all the way back to their prenatal stage!

It is however possible with past life regression therapy to go back further than this prenatal stage, and help the client to remember lives they had in the past.

This idea of having had previous lives is very difficult for most people to come to terms with, but there is actually overwhelming evidence to suggest that this present life is just one of many which we experience.

Some clients for example have reported detailed memories of fighting in a historic war, others speak of hunting in the Stone Age and yet others recall their present spouse from a former life.

By exploring old records, many people actually manage to verify everything that they remembered from the past life regression therapy session.

All around the world you can find heavily documented evidence of children who can still remember their past life. By visiting the places they used to live in their previous life they even get to meet living ‘relatives’ who they know inexplicably everything about.

It really helps in this life if we know what happened to us during those times in the past, because this form part of the way we look at this life, thus giving us the ultimate comprehension of ourselves and the patterns of our perspective.

Regression therapists coined a term called ‘Faulty Thoughts’. These are the negative thoughts that the individual himself has created in the previous life therefore carrying over emotional baggage and bad ‘karma’ into the present life.

The person who has created these negative feelings can get relief by releasing these feelings in order to allow their energy field to be molded into a positive one. Forgiveness, re-patterning and karmic repayment are all ways of releasing these negative feelings.

Forgiveness is a basic biblical principle; the entire faith is dependent upon it. Karmic repayment is the idea that we must repay the wrongs we have committed even if they are from a previous life. Basically correct the bad behavior to correct the bad karma.

Only after undergoing these corrective measures can we re-pattern our energy fields by replacing them with gentleness, care, tranquility, and harmony.

Regression therapy can be quite exhausting but is reportedly a life-changing event. Most people say their results were positive ones; leading them to a life with a better outlook and strengthened sense of self.

This change does not come without a price however. To be fully successful one must be totally committed to exploring their mind in order to change their life dramatically.

Regression therapy is a fascinating subject, and you should seriously think about trying it yourself either just out of interest, to discover who you were in a previous life, or to help you with present day problems.

The author David Shakkid writes for the http://www.past-lives-regression.com website. You can enjoy the incredible experience of regression therapy for yourself and get 29 Free regression therapy Audios when you visit here.

There are a ton of new and fresh, cool and hip, down and out hip hop beats today. Do not be the type of person who steals these beats and calls them their own. Be fresh and new. Be original. Making hip hop beats is not hard. It is probably one of the easiest things to do. Why? Because its all about you. Here are some tips to get you started.

If you don’t know what samples are its time you learn. Samples are short recordings of music that you use to create your hip hop beats. To make them your own, play an instrument. You don’t have to know how to play it. Be creative and experiment with different combinations of notes. Use different instruments to record a variety of samples.

You may run into trouble creating samples and need inspiration. The best way to become inspired is to listen to music. Do not limit yourself to your favorite brand of music. Expand into other genres. Listen to the different instruments, the different rhythms, the various beats. This not only will give you ideas, but expand your knowledge of different instruments you can use to make your sample beats.

After you create your short sample beats, move on to constructing your hip hop beats. Your samples are your guide, not your beat. Your samples are a starting point. Combine them, mix them, mold them into something new, fresh, full of hip, full of hop. Imagine building a puzzle. To help build your puzzle and keep your samples on tempo use a simple drum beat track.

Wrap up your beats by putting yourself into them. Insert how you feel. Add your joys, your sadness. Put your pain and emotion into them. At times be simple. At times become complex. When you feel inspired go with it. And most importantly, have fun with it. If you don’t enjoy it, why do it?

Read Aaron’s article about how to make hip hop beats.

Remember the agony you went through when you got behind the steering wheel of your dad’s car for the first time? Your hands were trembling when you buckled the safety belt. You could hardly press the button to adjust the mirrors (or maybe in those days you had to open the window and do it manually). And to switch on the engine felt like your were activating a monster that would propel you right through the garage wall and into outer space.

Below we give some information so you can make this time of his/her life a little less daunting and a lot more fun for your teenage son or daughter.

An important tip is to concentrate on teaching the student one skill at a time. This will take a lot of stress out of the situation. A good starting point, before they even switch on the car, is to make sure they know the location and function of all the major controls. It can be fatal if they should ever get in an emergency situation, and don’t know how to switch on the headlights, or where the emergency brake is. Make sure they know every single control, and can find it with their eyes closed. This can save a life in future.

Secondly, remember that practice makes perfect. Even if your student can’t wait to get going, let him practice all the basic skills over and over. Once again, in an emergency situation they have to react instinctively. There is no time to think what your next step should be. Let them practice in an empty parking lot after hours.

Beginning your lesson with parking skills is a good idea. This will help the learner to develop a feeling for how the car responds to what he does - at a slow, manageable speed. Reversing the car and making use of the rear view mirror at the same time is a scary experience the first time round, so let him practice this many times. Then let him try reverse parking. Some of us never learn to do this properly, so now is your chance to make sure he is not one of them.

I will never forget approaching the first curve I encountered in the road at a speed that must have scared my father brainless, because I can still hear his shouts: “Slow down!….. Slow Dooooooown!” It takes time to get a feeling for the way in which a car responds to different road conditions and speeds, and to applying the brakes - especially when you have already entered a curve. Stopping at a stop street should not involve driving right up to the stop sign and then stepping on the brakes. None of this is obvious to a new driver, so discuss this with him before he encounters the actual circumstances.

Another thing that is very scary is knowing how to deal with people walking across the road, bicycles moving right in front of you, and other cars changing lanes without warning. This can be life threatening if your child should panic and do something stupid, so discuss this with him before actually venturing into the traffic, and start off where you will encounter this, but not on a bewildering scale.

Finally, while learning to drive the student also has to be prepared for driving in adverse conditions, like rain, bad light, snowstorms etc. A training video could be very helpful in this regard - you can watch it together and discuss the appropriate reaction to the different situations.

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