The digital revolution has touched many aspects of people's lives, particularly education. Transformations that inspire learning have occurred at all levels of erudition. Gone are the days when students solely relied on classes for their education. With the current surge of smartphone and computer use, the majority of them now have access to a plethora of learning tools online. Learning has become easier. This article will reveal several great platforms for students. These websites and apps significantly help students with academic or career information. 

To survive in this world, one has to gain all the knowledge he or she can get. Similarly, one should acquire all possible help. A simple “write my essay” search on Google will offer students the assistance of a professional essay writer. College life can be a lot easier if one has the right resource at their disposal.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy is a web-based application that promotes learning for everyone across the globe. On the site, there is a dashboard that enables individuals to study at a steady pace. Students have access to instructional videos and practice exercises. Khan Academy covers a wide range of subjects, including but not limited to

• economics;
• mathematics;
• history;
• art;
• computing.

Students can also be prepared for exams, such as the SAT and LSAT, to mention a few. Khan Academy allows educators to take a glimpse into their student's performance. There is a teacher dashboard that reveals the overall performance of individuals and a class.

Essay Writer Service

Every student has been through the pressure of keeping up with assignment deadlines. This happens when there is a lot of school work to be covered or when the tasks are too difficult to finish in time. The essay writer service helps students across all majors with their homework. 

When a student approaches a professional writer and says "write my essays for me," they get their task done in no time. In the process, they will also learn the best way they could have written the work. The Essay Writer Service is flexible with all topics and levels of academics. 

Edgenuity Pathblazer

This platform is intended for students who have challenges in specific areas. It leverages two "learning intervention" programmes to first identify their weaknesses before providing specialised help. The two programmes, which are MyPath and Pathblazer, can be found online.

After finding the weaknesses of a student, Edgenuity Pathblazer reveals a specialised way of dealing with the problems at hand. After that, the student will catch up and start to perform better in their weak areas. The data produced by Edgenuity Pathblazer is also helpful to educators.

MyOn Reader

This platform is designed for those who want to improve their literacy in a language. Students who go to study at international schools in foreign countries may find this useful. They can accelerate their process of learning a foreign language. Language barriers should be dealt with as they can affect a person's education and social life.

Students on MyOn Reader can have full-time access to books, fiction and nonfiction, as well as news articles. In addition to accessing readable content, one may use its multimedia tools to enhance the learning process.

TED

TED is a platform where all curious minds may spend their time. It has an endless library of transformative videos. One can learn interesting information from various topics, such as food, culture, science, philosophy, politics, history, and religion among others. 

The information presented at TED can be applied by students in their studies. The speakers are experts in their professional fields. The website is a commendable way of killing time.

LinkedIn Learning

The platform includes much information regarding career paths and business opportunities. Over 5,000 courses can be found on LinkedIn Learning. These courses cover a wide variety of fields. A student can also upload their information to begin to form a network of individuals related to their area of interest.

Open Culture

This platform offers educational materials from universities around the world. A student can benefit from over a thousand podcasts, videos, and lectures that relate to their field of study. Information is perfectly organised into easy-to-read categories. Thus, one can find data on any subject provided by a specific university without leaving the site.

Coursera

Coursera is another platform that can be used by students for learning. It has a searchable database where one can easily browse for information. The content is collected from a variety of universities and organisations across the globe.

Since Coursera provides in-depth information from a wide range of courses, individuals can use it for their school projects. While the free online courses may be limited, a student would benefit a lot from subscriptions on the platform.

Lifehack

Students who would like to spend their time productively can benefit a lot from Lifehack. It offers courses that improve a person's skills in life. A person using Lifehack can learn the following:

• how to focus and avoid procrastination;
• how to boost motivation;
• how to become more efficient.

More courses are available on the site. They apply to all life aspects. This sort of information is the best foundation for success in future careers.

Wrapping Up

Regardless of your major, you can gain insights into the areas that interest you most or improve your knowledge in the sphere that is difficult but necessary for you. The availability and versatility of the discussed platforms make learning enjoyable. Just choose the one that suits you best at the moment and invest in your future right now.

As brands think about targeting the student market, it would be very tempting to stereotype and develop marketing that is all about partying and watching daytime TV. This approach is doomed to fail because the student demographic is actually much more diverse and discerning.

According to Creative Orchestra, less than 60% of students are under 21, almost 40% study part-time and half of those are aged 30-50. In the UK, there are almost half a million students from overseas, and the number is growing.

The main reason why banks are interested in connecting with students is that while they may not have much cash initially, over time they usually become more financially secure and interested in additional products and services such as credit cards, loans and mortgages.

Genuine concern for customers

Despite the dangers of generalising, there are some traits which marketers should be aware of. As a whole, students tend to have a strong sense of social responsibility. When asked, 74% believe that ethics are very important and 65% believe that it’s very important to be environmentally friendly. These beliefs affect the purchasing habits and demands of future students but it is important that brands don’t make claims they can’t substantiate. Students know the difference between genuine claims and spin and are increasingly drawn to ethical financial institutions.

Building a reputation as a brand that truly cares will get cut through with this demographic. Customer Thermometer research highlights that people want to connect with a brand that shows it cares about them. This is heightened for student consumers who are usually financially stretched and may feel more vulnerable, living away from home and making independent, financial decisions for the first time. Sensing that a bank understands the pressures they face and is always ready to help, rather than hinder or scold, can go a long way in forging a strong customer relationship.

In addition, our ‘Connected Customer’ research shows found that a long-term relationship happens when companies become a meaningful part of a customer’s everyday life.  Making their life easier and delivering what is promised both contribute to finding a place in their emotions. When students sense that “this company helps me when things go wrong”, they begin to move along the engagement journey from interest to loyalty. There’s a real opportunity for banks to show genuine understanding and flexibility towards students and as a result to win a customer for life.

As well as supporting students when things go wrong or finances are tight, banks should also be thinking, what additional services and products can we offer that will enhance their life? This is because there is a direct correlation between the number of additional products held, such as overdrafts, loans and insurance, and higher levels of engagement.

The personal touch

Finally, banks should use the reams of rich customer data, aggregated across multiple touch points, to target students with hyper-relevant and engaging messages at opportune moments.

Banks must profile and target properly, taking time to understand their audience, rather than lumping all students in the same category. Students will not tolerate being bombarded with unsolicited messages. Less is more and they appreciate creative, clever and entertaining campaigns that are personal to them. The good news is that sophisticated data-driven marketing is totally attainable now, so long as the data is clean.

The student market is highly lucrative and if banks get their marketing and customer experience right, they could win an advocate for life. To win the affections of students, brands must provide a meaningful and personalised solution with products and services that really add value. Any bank that does this will soon discover they have an army of loyal brand advocates who are engaged and bring long-lasting financial rewards.

Karen Wheeler is the Vice President and Country Manager UK at Affinion

Graduation is an exciting time but it can also bring high financial expectations that don't always match reality. A competitive job market, lower-than-anticipated income and higher-than-expected costs are just some of the realities facing post-secondary graduates, leaving many with a negative 'grad-itude'.

A TD survey found that the top financial pressures facing recent working post-secondary graduates are desires to become financially independent (52%), to save money so they can live on their own (39%) and concern over re-payment of their student debt (23%). In addition, 60% often felt guilty spending money on things they wanted versus using the money for other financial commitments, such as debt repayment, when they first started working.

"Today's graduates are ambitious and motivated, but the realities of the job market can lead to feelings of financial pressure and guilt when they're unable to afford many of the things they want," said Sue MacDonald, Associate Vice President of Everyday Banking Products at TD Bank Group. "Setting realistic and manageable goals and seeking advice from a trusted source such as a financial advisor is key to tackling new financial realities and starting off on the right financial foot."

One of the biggest challenges for new graduates is the fact that two in five (41%) found that it took up to one year to find a job. Once employed, 41% say they earned less than they had anticipated, with many facing unexpected expenses, such as transportation or commuting (33%), meals (25%) and buying a work-appropriate wardrobe (23%). It's hardly surprising then, that almost half (47%) of recent graduates say they feel anxious or overwhelmed at having to manage their finances on their own.

TD offers the following advice to help graduates reduce stress and still be able to have some fun as they transition to the next phase of life:

Make a plan: What are your short- and long-term financial goals? These can include paying down debt, such as student or personal loans, saving enough money to get a place of your own, or building up a nest egg so you feel financially independent. Decide what's most important to you and build a plan and speak to a financial advisor at your local branch who can help you with a strategy to achieve your goals.

Set and stick to a budget: Living within your means is always important, especially when discovering new financial realities of post-student life. Remember, you'll no longer be eligible for student discounts on things like transit passes, memberships or bank accounts. Setting and sticking to a budget and really asking yourself what is essential – like rent and debt repayment – versus what is a want – like travel or a new car – will help keep you on track. Once your budget is set, remember to track your spending. Money management apps, like the TD MySpend app, can be helpful tools since they help keep TD customers aware of certain types of transactions on eligible TD accounts and credit cards, and also provides  notifications of  spend transactions in real-time to help stay on budget.

Look for fun ways to save: Now that you're earning an income, it's an ideal time to establish new financial habits to help you save extra money that will help you reach your long term financial goals. When it comes to creative ways to stretch your dollar, below is some food for thought:

• Plan and prep your meals for the week to reduce the temptation of eating out, or try creating your favourite restaurant's dishes at home
• Go for a coffee date instead of dinner or drinks
• Sign up for an old-fashioned library card instead of buying books; most libraries also have apps for digital book rentals
• Fake it till you make it by buying gently used or vintage clothing instead of expensive designer outfits
• Work part-time at a gym or fitness studio in exchange for free classes
• Rent a car only when you need it instead of leasing or buying one
• Keep living like a student and save the rest of your money; if you didn't need the lavish lifestyle before, there's no reason to start it now

Don't try and keep up with others: Everyone's financial reality is different. Avoid trying to keep up with friends or colleagues who may be posting their lavish lifestyles on social media. It's important to know how much discretionary spending you can afford based on your own situation, rather than trying to keep up with everyone else.

(Source: TD Canada Trust)

Florida Atlantic University College of Business has launched a new Center for Forensic Accounting, which will develop and disseminate knowledge on this growing area of study to students, government and the business community.

The Center is one of the first in the country and the only one in Florida to focus on forensic accounting, a field that generally employs a mix of accounting, auditing and investigation to scrutinize financial information and other forms of evidence to provide analysis to courts of law, corporations and others. Michael Crain, D.B.A., is the Center's director and an FAU faculty member since 2008. He has more than 30 years of experience as a practicing certified public accountant specializing in forensic accounting, economic damages and business valuation.

"In addition to education and outreach, one of the missions of the Center is to develop knowledge in forensic accounting and fraud detection and prevention," said Crain. "We're engaging with people who are directly responsible for regulating, detecting and reducing financial fraud and misrepresentation."

The Center recently held a joint two-day conference with the US Treasury Department on the "Forensic Accounting and the Bank Secrecy Act," which attracted participants from the banking industry, forensic accounting, certified fraud examiners and law enforcement from the federal, state and local levels.

FAU has the oldest forensic accounting concentration within a Master of Accounting degree program in the United States. The College of Business currently offers a Masters of Accounting with three different concentrations related to forensic accounting, including in digital accounting forensics and data analytics first offered in fall 2016, and a concentration in business valuation that was added several years earlier. FAU's School of Accounting Executive Programs offers these concentrations as two-year traditional in-person and online degree programs.

"Our School of Accounting is one of the largest in Florida and we support the development in this vital area of accounting that can help so many people," said George Young, Ph.D., director of FAU's School of Accounting.

The median compensation for forensic accountants with certification in the United States is $105,000, according to a 2015-16 global salary study by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Forensic accounting and related fields in fraud and litigation support have been among the top niches in accounting firms in recent years, Crain said.

(Source: Florida Atlantic University College of Business)