The Internet can save you gas money!

Posted by Caitlin on June 20th, 2008

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On Earth Day, we posted some tips for living a more eco-friendly lifestyle with the help of online services. One suggestion was to attend an online college or university, since it reduces the environmental impact of getting an education. ABC recently ran a story informing viewers that online classes are gaining in popularity as a result of high gas prices. Driving to and from classes is getting pretty pricey at some campuses, but with the help of the Internet all that money can be saved.

Other online services can save you time and gas as well. With an online DVD rental service like Netflix, you avoid driving to and from the store every time you’d like to watch a movie, and online diet programs give you support and encouragement in the comfort of your own home.

To learn more about online education programs, online DVD rental services, and online diet programs, take a look at our reviews and comparisons.

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5 tips to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle this Earth day

Posted by Joe on April 22nd, 2008

In honor of Earth day we thought we would post a handful of useful tips related to the various services we review and compare here at NextAdvisor. The great news is that most of these techniques will not only reduce your impact on the environment but are also make your daily life easier.

1) Eliminate junk mail

We have posted previously on the hidden identity theft risk in junk mail, but in honor of earth day, we also wanted to point out that junk mail and other marketing communications you receive in the mail are very bad for the environment. Check out the original post for more tips on eliminating junk mail.

Additionally, we came across a new service today called Catalog Choice which allows you to select which catalogs you would like to receive. The service is free and allows you to opt out from receiving catalogs that you no longer wish to receive while still allowing those you want reach your mailbox.

2) Receive your credit report online

Whether you are ordering your free credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com or from one of the credit report monitoring services we have reviewed and compared make sure you opt for online delivery of your credit report. Not only will this lower the overall carbon footprint of your order because the reports don’t need to be printed or transported by postal mail, but you will also receive immediate access to your credit file information.

3) Go paperless when you have the option

Opt for paperless billing where you can. VoIP services such as voip.com and Vonage offer a paperless billing option and so do other companies such as cell phone providers and credit card companies. Accessing your billing information online is not only more eco-friendly but it is also more convenient.

4) Attend an online college or university

Think of going back to get a better job or just for personal enrichment? Consider an online college or University. We have reviewed and compared dozens of e-learning institutions and found that they are every bit as reputable as their traditional counterparts with the added convenience of being able to attend classes from your home computer. Since you don’t have to commute to and from a physical campus and most of the course information is distributed digital the impact on the environment is greatly reduced.

5) Store your data “in the cloud”

Use an online backup service such as Mozy to store the information on your computer’s hard drive. Online backup services are much more environmentally friendly than the hardware based alternatives because they cut down on the number of home storage devices that have to be produced and shipped all over the globe.

Do you have your own eco-friendly and convenient tips that you would like to share? We would love to hear from you! Just leave a note in the comments below.

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Attend a MIT physics class in your pajamas

Posted by Joe on January 4th, 2008

While we have reviewed e-learning programs offered by online colleges and universities for some time we have noticed an exciting trend in web based learning over the last year. Many of the top colleges and universities in the United States and Europe have begun releasing full audio and video lectures as well as other course material for free on the web.

Schools like UC Berkley, Princeton, Harvard, Oxford and hundreds of others offer thousands of hours of course material through video services such as YouTube and iTunes. MIT was an early pioneer in this space having launched their OpenCourseWare initiative in 2001 which now includes information from 1800 different courses ranging from Physics to scuba diving.

Students cannot earn actual course credit as a result of these programs, but they do represent a great move towards opening up some of the world’s greatest academic thought to the world.

Check out our free online education guide to learn about schools that will offer course credit for online classes. We have reviewed hundreds of these online learning programs and have ranked to best e-learning institutions as a service for our readers.

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Connecticut teens earn diplomas on the Internet

Posted by Joe on January 4th, 2008

High school students throughout Connecticut now have an online learning option thanks to a recent pilot program launched by the state. The e-learning initiative is targeted towards students looking to catch up on credits required for graduation as well as those that are looking for unique elective classes that may not be widely available.

Online education and Internet based distance learning degrees have been available for ten years or more from dozens of reputable colleges and universities. But, the idea of offering the many unique benefits of online education to high school students is still a relatively new one although 31 other states that currently offer some type of online learning resources to high school students.

Vincent Mastaro, senior state associate for policy services at the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, feels that these types of online learning programs help to expand educational opportunities for students across the state.

“There are some school systems with very small high schools. That extremely limits what they can offer,” he said. “You can offer it online, it can be offered to so many students in so many schools.”

We have reviewed online colleges and universities for some time now and believe that this growth trend in online learning at all levels will continue to develop over the coming years. We can expect that many students that are exposed to online learning in their high school years will go on to matriculate in e-learning programs at the college and university level.

We strongly recommend online learning to anyone that is looking to improve their earning potential, earn an advanced degree or simply wants to focus on personal development. We have reviewed and compared hundreds of online colleges and universities and presented the top Internet degree programs on our website as a resource to our readers.

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