The award-winning Learning Express Library is now live!

by Guest Blogger, Taylor Duncan, Assistant Director of Student Affairs: Libraries & Tutoring

Learning Express Library is an award-winning resource that provides a broad range of educational and career-oriented resources including individual learning centers with access to related tests, courses, eBooks and subject-specific content.

Courses and content available for improving proficiency in reading, writing and math as well as workplace skills including business writing, core computer skills, interviewing and more.

Access Learning Express Library

You may access this new resource online through Argosy University Online Library. This resource is listed on the “Find Books” and “Find Articles” pages.

Every user will sign up for individual accounts providing the ability to track your progress in LEL tests and courses and to print completion certificates. Follow the instructions below to create, and access, your account!

New Users:

1. Click the Register button under the New Users section at the bottom of the page.

2.  Create your username and password, verify your password, and then click the Register button.

NOTE: Usernames and passwords must be a minimum of 6 characters and should not include spaces. Please save your username and password as they will be required each time you log on to the site.

3. Choose one of the Learning Centers on the left to access our resources.

Returning Users:

1. Enter your username and password on the Returning User Login section at the bottom of the screen. 

2. Click the Login button. 

3. Choose one of the Learning Centers on the left to access our resources.

Contact the Online Library

For more information on Learning Express Library or any of the other online library resources, please contact the Argosy University Online Library at 888-559-7579 or auolibrary@argosy.edu.

A well-written memoir can have the power to draw society’s awareness, discussion and eventually understanding to sensitive topics. Although a memoir is a story of one, memoirs often highlight experiences that others have shared and have underlying themes to which others can relate.

In recognition of May being Mental Health Month, Argosy University, Online Programs presents the following memoirs written by those who have been affected by mental illness, in the hopes of bringing your attention to the topics of mental health and illness.

Darkness Visible by William Styron

Later in his life, Styron, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning The Confessions of Nat Turner and National Book Award winner Sophie’s Choice, fell into a deep depression and was hospitalized for several weeks. Styron applies his lyrical gifts in narrating his struggle with despair. Darkness Visible is a poetic account of a person overcoming depression.

An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison

Jamison is a psychologist who suffers from bipolar disorder. As both clinician and patient, Jamison offers a unique perspective, writing on how her manic and depressive episodes wrecked her life and how lithium brought her out of her mania but also dulled her imaginative energy. In addition to Unquiet Mind, Jamison has coauthored the clinical textbook Manic-Depressive Illness and authored Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament, exploring the relationship between mental illness and creativity, and Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide.

The Noonday Demon: The Atlas of Depression by Andrew Solomon

In The Noonday Demon, winner of the National Book Award, Solomon writes about his debilitating depression in which any social encounter, such as a book-signing event, could become terrifying. Solomon writes about his search for the right combination of psychiatric medication to alleviate his depression and the financial costs of the medicine. Solomon also writes of his mother’s terminal illness and her decision to end her own life. The book also explores mental health policy in the United States and policy makers whose lives are affected by psychiatric disorders.

The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness by Elyn Saks

Saks is a law professor with schizophrenia and is an expert on mental health and law. The Center Cannot Hold not only provides Saks' account of her struggles with her illness but also addresses mental health stigma in society.

Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia by Marya Hornbacher

Published when Hornbacher was 23, Wasted was short-listed for the Pulitzer Price and gives an account of her struggle with an eating disorder. Her follow-up Madness: A Bipolar Life recounts her years after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

Later made into a popular movie, Girl, Interrupted is about an 18-year-old’s psychiatric hospitalization for depression after a suicide attempt in 1967. Kaysen writes about her diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and her views on the conceptualization of mental health in the United States.

More Information on Mental Health Month

Mental Health Month: 7 Quick Ways to Ease Stress
Mental Health Month: Pathways to Wellness
May is National Health Month

Armed Forces Day is tomorrow, May 18, 2013, and we would like to thank and honor all military personnel, especially those who are our students. This holiday was first observed in 1950 and is now celebrated annually on the third Saturday of every May to recognize and honor the five military branches: the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard.

At Argosy University, Online Programs, we want to recognize the commitment of those who serve. Here are three ways in which we currently serve those of our students who are affiliated with the military.

1. Experience in Working with Military Students

We ensure that all military students and spouses have a team of dedicated admissions, financial aid and advising representatives focused on meeting your needs as a military student. Argosy University is a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC). We have also been recognized by GI Jobs as a Military-Friendly School (http://www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/), an honor reserved for only 15% of schools nationwide.

2. University Credit for Your Military Experience

We'd like to recognize your extensive military training and experience. Once you submit the paperwork, we’ll review your experience and training to determine your eligibility for credit toward your academic program. This transfer of credit could help you to cut expenses and graduate in less time.

For more information, visit http://online.argosy.edu/military/.

3. Military Aid & Benefits

Complete information on our military aid and benefit programs can be found at http://online.argosy.edu/military/military_aid.aspx, and you can speak with a Military Admissions Representative by calling 1-877-800-8412. Before you do, here’s a quick overview!

For Active Duty Military Personnel: We are pleased to offer an Active Duty Scholarship to eligible service members. For undergraduate programs, the cost of tuition is $250 per credit hour when the scholarship is applied. For graduate level programs, Argosy University offers a military tuition scholarship of 20%.

For Spouse of Active Duty Military Personnel: We are proud to extend the military scholarship of 20% to spouses of Active Duty Reserve, and National Guard personnel that are enrolled in our graduate level programs. For undergraduate level programs, the cost of tuition is reduced to $250 per credit hour through the Spouse of Active Duty Scholarship.

For Veterans: For undergraduate and graduate programs, we offer eligible veterans the Veteran Scholarship of 20%. We also participate in the Post 9/11 GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Program. Furthermore, veterans using the educational benefits provided under the Montgomery GI Bill will find that a significant portion of their tuition expenses will be covered or reimbursed.

The tuition deposit is also waived for Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard and Veteran personnel as well as for spouses of servicemembers.

Read more at http://online.argosy.edu/military/military_aid.aspx, or get information on the following programs.

If you’re like many people, when a new movie or book is released, you don’t want to know what surprises it contains. You go out of your way to avoid talking about the story in fear of accidentally discovering the ending and steer clear of anything that says “spoiler alert,” convinced that knowing the secret would ruin the story. But, is that actually true?

According to a study published in Psychological Science, spoilers may not spoil anything. In fact, the study found that knowing in advance a story’s outcome or an unexpected plot surprise may actually allow you to enjoy the story more.

Researchers Christenfeld and Leavitt ran three experiments using 12 classic short stories, including ironic-twist, mystery and literary stories by famous authors such as Roald Dahl, Agatha Christie and John Updike.

The researchers presented the stories to the subjects in one of three ways:
(1) as was originally written and without a spoiler,
(2) with a spoiler paragraph before the start of the story, and
(3) with a spoiler paragraph incorporated into the text as if it was part of the original story.

Each version of each story was read by at least 30 participants, and for each type of story, participants most preferred the version that was prefaced by a spoiler. Why and how could this be?

One researcher explained this surprising result by suggesting that perhaps we enjoy the good writing more than the actual plot. Another interesting idea proposed by the researchers is that a spoiled story may simply be easier to read.

"It could be that once you know how it turns out, it’s cognitively easier – you’re more comfortable processing the information – and can focus on a deeper understanding of the story," Leavitt explained in a press release on the study.

So, what do you think? Many of us enjoy re-watching our favorite movies and television shows and re-reading our favorite stories. Is this the same? When you read a book for the first time, do you enjoy knowing which one of the suspects committed the crime at the beginning, or do you prefer figuring it out yourself along the way?

Read the full press release here: Spoiler Alert: Stories Are Not Spoiled by 'Spoilers'.

In today’s economy, it makes sense to think about how you can boost the value you bring to any company.

That’s as true for those who are happy in their current positions as for those who will soon be looking for jobs elsewhere. Although it might not be possible to be a perfect employee, there’s no denying that some traits are seen as desirable to most employers. People with these traits appear to be hired more often, receive the best promotions and earn more than their counterparts.

Pay attention to the traits that count, and do what you can to improve in those areas. Here are five sought-after employee characteristics that anyone can improve upon.

1. Active

Active employees aren’t afraid to get the job done. They’re willing to risk failure and criticism in order to solve problems, and often, that’s exactly what they wind up receiving. However, in the quest for solutions, they also stumble onto methods and developments that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.

You can become an active employee by looking for ways to solve problems before you’re asked. You don’t need special skills to be the first person to offer to put your ordinary ones to work.

2. Detail-Oriented

Double-checking to make sure that you have your facts and methods right is an easy way to get a reputation for being reliable. Employers care whether they’re wasting time dealing with problems an employee could have easily prevented the first time around. When it comes to employees who repeatedly overlook details, employers are less enthusiastic in their recommendations and look elsewhere when new opportunities to advance come around.

Most workers get into the habit of assuming they’ve done things correctly. Do the opposite. Double-check your work assuming you might have made a mistake.

3. Confident

Employers like confidence because it’s a tell-tale sign of former success. It means you’ve learned to trust yourself through proving you can handle your responsibilities. Confident employees tackle their responsibilities without needing someone to hold their hands. It speaks to reliability, determination and work ethic--all qualities that bosses find invaluable.

There’s a distinct difference however between believing in your abilities and believing you are better than other people because of them. Arrogance holds you back at work, and doesn’t impress many people during interviews. 

4. Upbeat

Staying positive and being willing to work when you’re on the clock will make you an immediate resource. If you help the people around you feel motivated, they’ll enjoy being around you. If you’re dragging your feet and holding others back, they’ll hate having to rely on your help.

It can be very hard to turn a negative attitude around. Half of the work, however, is just keeping a smile on your face. Studies on facial feedback have proven that while we often smile because we feel happy, we can also feel happy because we smile.

5. Presentable

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but a professional appearance is cut and dry. Your public speaking skills are not all that will be considered when you present to clients or your own company; looking put together in the boardroom makes a difference and is one of the easiest ways to improve your reputation.

Resources & More Information

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensundheim/2013/04/02/15-traits-of-the-ideal-employee/
http://www.waspbarcode.com/buzz/characteristics-solid-employee/
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/the-8-qualities-of-remarkable-employees.html