Physical Therapy Schools|Benefits Of Massage Therapy Schools

Most Americans are now seeing the value of having a good massage in order to alleviate body pains and stress. This is largely due to doctors' recommendations of using various modalities of massage in order to treat certain illnesses and pains. What other reasons are behind this new-found sense of wellness?

Reasons Why The Massage Therapy Career Is Booming

Although initially pain relief was the only reason why Americans sought the assistance of therapists, they are now finding more reasons to keep their wellness appointments with medical practitioners.

Aids in Preserving Healthy Bodies

A healthy body also equates to almost painless living conditions. Many have been going to massage therapists mainly to seek relief from their injuries as well as for pain management purposes. According to studies, with continued massage sessions, people suffering from chronic back pains, fatigue caused by other illnesses, post-operative soreness, and bone problems benefitted much from regular massages. Aside from pain relief, most of the patients felt stronger, breathed easier, had become more positive in their disposition, and had a healthier and improved sense of self after several massage sessions.

Therapy Is Recommended by Doctors

Starting mid-2006, more and more doctors have been advocating massage therapy as cure alongside other medical treatments doctors are performing on patients. Based on analyses conducted by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), more than 60% of massage therapists get referrals from doctors such as orthopedists and cardiologists.

Health and Wellness Centers Now Have Massage Therapy Programs

Because more doctors are now espousing the use of massages as part of a patient's treatment, health centers, including clinics and hospitals, established education programs to respond to the growing demand in massage therapy. Primarily, these programs are designed for the treatment of the following conditions: high blood pressure, depression and anxiety, infant massage, pregnancy-related massage, rehabilitation, and general wellness massages.

Profession Is Now Covered by Insurance Companies

From the beginning, insurance companies have been covering treatment for illnesses and diseases only. However, due to the increasing number of doctors who consider massages to treat patients, as well as requests from patients themselves to include massage therapy in their health benefit cards, insurance companies have started responding positively to the demand. Thus, massage therapy is now made available to more patients needing special massage treatments.

Career Has Positive Growth Potential

Again, in response to the population's growing awareness about the health benefits of massage therapy in treating various diseases and pains, including hospitals' and health centers' need for more massage therapists, the industry is projected to grow by about 20% until 2018. Thus, more employment opportunities are open for those who want to be in the health professionals industry.

Choosing the right massage therapist can make all the difference in the world. Finding someone who takes the time to access your individual needs, utilizing the appropriate techniques to receive the utmost benefits, can truly be life changing. There are ways to help you in this search of an alternative form of natural healing.

Best Choice - Referrals

Personal referrals from friends or healthcare providers is always a great way to choose a massage therapist. Discuss with those individuals exactly what you are looking for and ask them if they know of a massage therapist that they could recommend. Finding someone that comes highly recommended by a person that you respect and trust brings a credibility factor that can help short-cut the investigation process.

Other Options - Yellow Pages or Online Search

The yellow pages or searching online can also yield satisfactory results in the quest for a good massage therapist. Once a choice is made, be sure to talk with them on the phone or via e-mail before going for your first appointment. Communicate clearly when expressing any concerns and questions and remember to specify any gender preferences if any. Ask if they have a website or brochures that will provide more information. With proper investigation and evaluation, discovering a massage therapist who can provide a positive and relaxed experience will be worth every minute.

Look For Open Lines of Communication

When searching for a good massage therapist, make sure that the lines of communication are open and feel comfortable. A therapist should be eager to share information pertaining to their business and what they have to offer. Any questions that you have should be welcomed in order that your experience will be most satisfying.

Have Your List of Questions Ready

Think about what is important to you and then have your list of questions ready to discuss with your potential massage therapist. Questions to consider would be:

-Are they a certified massage therapist?

-How long have you been practicing?

-Do you have references?

-How much do you charge for a session? Any Specials, Discounts offered?

-How long is a session?

-What type of covering do you use for the client?

-What kind of products do you use? (oil, creams, etc.)

-What type of payments do you accept?

Ask as many questions of your massage therapist as you need to ensure your expectations are met.

Experiment

Once you have found someone that you have confidence in, make an appointment to experience what the massage therapist can actually do for you. Even with excellent credentials, choosing a massage therapist takes some experimentation to see what works best for you. With many different massage techniques to choose from, it may take some time to determine the ideal combination of massage styles that is most pleasing for your taste and needs. Each individual has personal criteria that will determine the ultimate selection. Return to a massage therapist who fits your needs and preferences, effectively treats your issues and provides the tremendous benefits of personalized care.

Equine therapeutic massage is swiftly becoming a valuable supplement to the intelligent horse owners' equine care regiment. These folks have learned the secret benefits associated with horse therapeutic massage. What is so secret? Just about anyone knowledgeable about massage and/or holistic health care approaches has learned about the the traditional series of the benefits of bodywork with respect to horses. Even so, no one has converted that checklist into the merits for you, the actual horse owner. Unless you have unexpectedly discovered and observed the genuine benefits for you and your horse, it is likely you are not aware why massage is certainly not merely a once-a-year luxury.

The standard report on the features of horse therapeutic massage reads as such:

• Dilates blood vessels


• Returns blood once again all the way to the heart


• Helps remove lethargic lymph material


• Improves muscle tone


• Prevents adhesions


• Stretches connective tissue


• Lessens stiffness and also swelling


• Has a stimulative or possibly sedative impact in nervous system


• Brings attention to the area getting massaged

Just how many equine owners genuinely know how this collection may affect them? Quite frankly, a small amount of of them do. Unless a person has excelled in the field of biology and physiology in high school or college, chances are this age old checklist is Greek to them! Let's finally bring it up to date as well as convert this particular collection into exactly how horse massage rewards you, the horse owner. We are going to begin with condensing the list into three principal themes: circulation, muscle performance, and mental acuity.

• CIRCULATION: Massage boosts blood flow for all parts of the body. All of the cells in the body must have oxygen and also nutrients delivered to them, through circulation of blood, to build brand new cells, generate energy, export toxins, and preserve all cellular functions. Inadequate blood circulation results in a decline in every one of these areas. In essence, you now are generally working along with a half-baked horse that would most likely have varied health difficulties.


• MUSCLE PERFORMANCE: Equine massage physically breaks down the knots along with contracted muscle fibers that can't perform their task successfully. leading to improved muscle quality and also much more thorough and well balanced muscle actions. Your horse is made up of 700 skeletal muscles and that is 60% of the entire body mass of your horse! Working a horse with tight, continuously contracted muscles is the same as functioning in a condition of resistance. Your horse is using a lot more energy to perform and is achieving significantly less than its optimum capabilities and thus, is headed for injury.


• MENTAL ACUITY: Horse bodywork talks to the nervous system in a manner that the horse will certainly exerience an important state of relaxation, mental lucidity, and personal healing. The horse functioning in a state of constant psychological anxiety and restricted focus will never perform to their complete potential.

When massage is performed over a consistent basis the results build upon themselves with time. Once-a-year massages are in essence the equivalent of placing a band-aid on fundamental problems and the horse never reaps the added benefits of continual recovery. In addition, regular equine massage not only benefits the horse, it benefits YOU, the actual horse owner, and here is how:

You may experience a reduction in vet visits which ultimately may keep your horse out from the lay-up stall saving you time and money.

You may have a horse that can move more efficiently, with significantly less pain and achieve more physically, which will equal a better overall performance for you.

You may have a horse that experiences less tendon and ligament injuries equaling greater performance time and significantly less lay-up time; keeping you in the saddle.

You may possess a horse that rebounds quicker from workouts and is feeling ready to work on a consistent basis providing you a willing horse to ride.

You may have a much more content mount with a better work attitude making your daily ride a pleasure as opposed to a fight.

Whether you ride for pleasure or overall performance, equine massage is a straightforward addition to your horse's healthcare plan which could help you stay in the saddle and on top of your performance.

Massage therapy can be traced a thousand of years back to the Ancient times when it was used as the primary and essential medical care. Through the years, many methods and practices had been developed and improvements were also made through the course of time. All of these were based on one goal which is to enhance the rejuvenating capabilities of the human body, relax muscle tension all over the body, and to relieve stress which causes many ailments. Massage therapy can be used on many health issues and is considered as both conventional and alternative treatment.

There are 80 types of massage therapy method that a patient can choose from. All of these methods share the same objective in giving the body a good, improved, and maintained healthy condition. The practitioners as well as massage therapists can pick any of their preferred massage therapy methods to practice which includes different massage strokes varying with the different techniques each style has.

All of the different types of therapeutic massage points out to key areas or meridian points of the body. This is where they base their concern as it is believed that the body consists of energy flowing all over. Especially in Asian style massage therapy, the body is believed to have energy lines or path ways that needs to be unblocked. Clogged energy lines result in the weakening of the body's immune system which then becomes prone and drops the line of defense against sicknesses. Energy is known in different name in the various Asian countries that uses this knowledge in massage therapy. For example, it is called qi (chi) in China and sen in Thailand.

Massage therapy has proved to be beneficial to the improvement and healing of both the physical and mental condition of a patient. Various techniques in therapeutic massage although has different approaches yet they all accomplish the same purpose and give the same effect. Basically, this kind of treatment was developed to give the patient a relaxing and stress free feeling after a massage session; however it was improvised to also relieve body pain, remove physical and emotional stress, as well as treat chronic muscle pain. It is also great in increasing the oxygen and blood circulation of the body which results to a healthier body condition among most patients.

Although massage therapy only has few risks unlike other types of modern treatment, the public should still be careful when having a massage session and should only use licensed and knowledgeable massage therapists to further reduce the risks. Injuries are the main risks in a therapeutic massage. This is commonly due to the fact that the massage therapist is not a licensed and certified massage therapist. The anatomy of the human body as well as how it works and should be manipulated is all taught to massage therapists during their training. Most states usually requires 1,000 hours of massage therapy training as well as passing the state exam before a therapist can actually get his or her license.

Professions in the health sector are developing fast and demand for qualified professionals is on the rise. Physical therapists are some of the health professionals whose demand is on the rise. These health professionals diagnose and treat patients with health related problems which limit the patient's motor ability. They work with patients of all ages and hence the popularity of this profession. If you are thinking of taking up physical therapy as a career, you are probably wondering how long it will take for you to become a practicing physical therapist. Read on to learn more.

To be considered a qualified physical therapist, the professional needs to have achieved a masters or Doctorate Degree in physical therapy from an accredited physical therapy program. A Masters Degree in physical therapy lasts between 2 years and 2.5 years. A doctorate degree on the other hand lasts about 3 years. Before enrolling for either degree program, it is important that you ensure that the issuing institution is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education.

Before studying for your masters or doctorate degree, you must have completed or worked towards 3 years of a baccalaureate degree. To get the best chances at succeeding in this field, the undergraduate degree should be related to physical therapy. Therefore, it will take a total of between 5 to 7 years of undergraduate and post-baccalaureate study to become a practicing physical therapist.

The practice of physical therapy is controlled by the state. Therefore, the time period it takes as well as the requirements you will need to meet in order to become a licensed physical therapist will largely depend on the state in which you want to practice. Besides the academic qualifications, you will need to pass national examinations and state examinations to become licensed. The state administered examinations are set by the state board to determine whether you are qualified to practice as a physical therapist in the particular state.

Once you are fully licensed, it is recommended you undergo continuing education in physical therapy by attending seminars and workshops. In some states, it is a mandatory requirement in order to remain licensed.

Now that you know how much time it will take you to become a licensed physical therapist, let's look at the places you can study and some of the course requirements. As mentioned, the curriculum is usually controlled by the state. However, here is a general picture of what is needed.

Physical therapist courses are offered both online and offline. It is considered best to study the course in an offline educational institution. However, if you need a flexible study timetable, online study can work best.

The courses cover classroom and lab instruction as well as supervised clinical experience. The main problem with online study is that the student doesn't have direct access to lab and clinical facilities which play a major role in the final examinations and state assessments. It is therefore important that you find medical institutions where you can practice physical therapy if you intent to study online.

Percussion Therapy is attached with various kinds of massage therapies techniques, all are highly regarded full ideal to different sorts of clinical practices. The numbers of medical percussion massages therapy tools are extensively being used worldwide by professionals and individuals for obviating the risks related to the body's internal systems and few common percussion therapies also involve respiratory therapy, physical therapy, chiropractic therapy, sports medicine and spas and salons.

The line up of valuable ideas have been developed for reducing the stress, moreover to myofascial release, deep muscle therapy, trigger point reduction, pain relieve by inserting lactic acids, treatment for muscles spasm, sports rehabilitation, reducing muscles pools and postural drainage.

We can observe that bunch of people are now moving towards the massage therapy and they have got faith it quality percussion massage therapy would obliterate all the stress, major physical and mental predicaments are seem to be associated with their social, personal and business lives. Scout's honor that a massage therapy can really heal your ordeals and it makes no odd that what are the reasons for such problems, hence a percussion massage therapy is meant to saturate your body on the highest level of ease and comfort, where you can forget all the turmoil and perturbations.

Numberless advantages are embraced to the term "Percussion Massage Therapy", it informally vouches for the series of brisk, soothing, light and striking actions usually are applied in rapid intervals, with the help of alternate hands. Mainly two actions can be considered as the fundamental percussion strokes namely as cupping and hacking: these strokes can be performed on to different areas of the body, and the systems become more efficacious, if both are used on the area of the body with large muscular/fleshy area, for an instance thigh and upper part of the body. Other devoting movements with regards to percussion massage therapy are beating, throbbing and tapping.

The set of these there movements is often starts out its performance from the area of the wrist rather than from shoulders, elbows and head, yet it is the basic thing each therapist must be acquainted of, because majority of the therapist sets out to perform the percussion therapy, making movements from the elbows and shoulders, which is totally wrong and in severe case it may result in stern frustration, disturbance and gaucheness.

Cupping is a sensitive part of the therapy, which is normally done with the palms, moving vertically (facing down), and creating the shape of a hollow curvature. In this way therapist moves the cupped hands at the rapid pace as a result a vacuum is formed that gets release when the therapist bring the hands up , that performance may sound like hollow like treating horse, and there must be such sound for making sure that the movement is being done to the right direction. This art of massage is often identified as Cupping sometimes also acknowledged as clapping, in both names it indicate the term "cupped" hands.

Hacking is another part of the percussion therapy and it is undoubtedly the best recommended massage therapy, it is the same kind of therapy we often watch in the movies, it is performed with the edge of both hands, in this procedure the therapist holds the hands over the body with the position, two palms facing each other, and keeping the thumbs on the uppermost position. At the last therapist moves up and down the hands in the rhythmical interval with rapid succession. These movements are frequently done to wake up the person.

The next movement is Flicking, which is very much the same to Hacking, and it is also signified to describe the term finger hacking. In this part of performance the therapist has to flex the wrists slowly by bringing the sides of the fingers into connection to the body, without involving the edge of the hands. Flicking is a type of relaxing movement can give long lasting effect to the body muscles.

The last steps in the percussion massage therapy are beating and pounding, the therapist executes these with the hands, in a closed position and hands of the massager may slightly clench with the fists. Beating is executed with the help of unlar border, using closed fists and on the other hands the pounding is done by employing the both hands, tacking on the surface of the body. Both of the movements are managed to perform in a quick succession for getting better results.

Percussion massage therapies are very momentary and can rouse the muscles very effectively. The circulation of the bloods enhances and blood starts moving into the body very rapidly. Percussion therapy can improve the working power of the muscle tone and helps muscle in contracting and expanding with good grace.

Massage therapy loosens the body's tissues and muscles and provides relief from stress and pain. It is one of the ancient forms of therapy used for healing.

There are several techniques used for a massage such as rubbing, vibration, applying pressure, friction kneading etc. on various tissues, muscles, fascia, joints, skin, ligaments etc. All the techniques used during a massage target at benefiting the circulatory and lymphatic, musculoskeletal and the nervous system of the body. Apart for bringing relief from stress and muscle tension massages also help in clearing waste including lactic acid from the body. There are different types of massages an individual can opt for like the Swedish massage, acupressure massage, deep tissue, sports etc. There are several benefits and advantages an individual can derive from a massage therapy. They are as listed below.

1. Massages loosen the tissues, muscles and stiffness in the body and it enhances the flexibility in the joints.

2. It minimizes back pain.

3. Massages are also great to treat tendinitis and arthritis as they stretch and exercise weak and tight muscles.

4. Therapy improves circulation and reduces respiratory problems as they pump more nutrients and oxygen into vital organs and tissues.

5. It also helps expectant mothers with quick and easy labor during childbirth.

6. fuel lymph flow, which increases body immunity.

7. It helps in the rehabilitation post-surgery or injury.

8. It also treats anxiety and depression.

9. It minimizes cramping and spasms.

10. Massages give relieve from headaches and migraines.

11. Massages for a sportsman help him or her to recover from tough and strenuous workouts.

12. Skin massages improve the skin texture allowing the skin to breathe and stay healthy. 13. It reduces dependence on medicine, heals stretch marks and scar tissues and helps in the regeneration of tissues.

Studies have shown that most diseases occur due to stress and massages are a great way for relieving stress. They thereby act as a precautionary measure for diseases. Stress is one of the major reasons for early ageing which can be treated by massages. Burn injury patients, asthmatic children, people suffering from high blood pressure, water retention etc. have all acknowledged the benefits of massage therapy. Researches claim massages can also treat neurological disorders, chronic diseases and stress related to modern lifestyle.

The benefits of massage are undoubtedly numerous. Visit a massage salon today to reap its fruits in the form of stress relief, lose muscles and tissues and reduced pain.

What Does The Client Want?

This is the simplest and most difficult part of building your client base - and also the most important thing to remember.

It is a very simple concept, but it can be very difficult to achieve and if you don't the clients won't come back or give you referrals.

So what is it?

Give the client the treatment they want.

That's it - I said it was simple.

Or is it?

Let's take an example of a client booking a one hour Massage appointment. They make the booking, turn up on time and you go through your intake process to ensure no contra-indications etc and you then give them the massage. At the end they leave satisfied having had the treatment they booked - a one hour massage.

Did they get the treatment they really wanted?

Each client is unique; they each have a different body with different tensions, areas of stress and needs. Sometimes a client has a specific physical problem they want addressing - knotted shoulders for example, other times they just want to have an hour dedicated to them in a nice pampering massage to send them off to sleep.

Which of these did the client who booked the one hour treatment want?

The difference between a treatment that is going to help ease the tension in some tight shoulders and one that is going to send a client drifting off to sleep in the clouds is immense, and if you don't give the client the right one they aren't going to be very satisfied with the treatment.

And if they aren't satisfied they had the treatment they wanted they aren't going to come back again.

So perhaps the key to an excellent treatment should be:

Find out what the client wants.

This is really important, I have been for so many massages over the years - from small private practices to some of the world's best Spa's in five star hotels.

Whenever I travel I like to have a massage, particularly if it is a new country or destination. From all of these treatments I have learnt something, just because you are paying a lot for a treatment in beautiful surroundings doesn't mean you are going to get a good treatment.

Most places, not all, have some sort of case history consultation. You need to check for any contra-indications before beginning any treatments, but all too often what is usually just a form is as far as the therapist goes in finding out my needs and desires for the treatment.

So here we have it, the first key to ensuring repeat clients - spend a few moments before the treatment starts asking them what they want. What type of treatment are they after.

But what does the client really want?

Ok, that's brilliant - we've asked the client what they would like from the treatment but unfortunately they have a tendency to be not very helpful. Very quickly, and I bet you've used these yourself, you will get some answers like:

"Just to relax and chill-out"

"I'm just really stressed with so much tension I need a really deep massage"

And of course the most unhelpful of them all:

"I don't know really, I just fancied a massage"

These, or similar, are the three most common answers I have found that clients give when you ask them what they want from a massage.

Our job as therapists is to understand what they really mean by their answer, to help them expand on it and to explore it. Generally they have come for a massage or treatment for a reason, they want to feel different when they leave to how they arrived.

And this is the second key to ensuring the client gets the massage they want:

How does the client want to feel when they leave?

I think this is really important, I always ask all my clients this because it makes them think about the outcome of the treatment a little more. Wording can be changed to suit, but some examples I use are:

"What will you notice that is different about yourself or in your body when you leave?"

"Do you want to feel different when you leave? If so how - describe how you would like to feel emotionally and physically"

"If you have the massage you want today, what will be different between now and when you leave?"

Like us, our clients are often lazy and don't want to think about the answers - often replying with?"I don't know" or "Relaxed." So in this situation I follow up with some more probing, similar to some of the following

"Ok, will you walk differently?"

"When you walk out of here to go to your car will I notice anything different about you or how you are walking?"

"Relaxed, how does relaxed feel for you? Can you describe it?"

You will then find that most clients will start to expand on their answers and give you a much better idea of how to plan your treatment.

At the end of the treatment you can ask them how they feel, did they get the outcome they wanted. A very powerful way of doing this is to ask them to walk around the treatment room and describe how they feel. Ask how it compares to when they arrived, what is different and do they feel they got the treatment they wanted. When they are walking they will often stand still to think about the answer, prompt them to keep walking. Through the movement of their body they will really start to notice the changes and differences.

There are dozens of massage therapy types and techniques. Knowing what they are and what they do is sometimes confusing. It is hard to ask for a particular type of massage if you do not know what it is called or even what it will do for you. Here we will try to break the mystery into an understandable list of some commonly practiced massage types and what they do.

 
Points

The belief behind Shiatsu and acupressure is that the body becomes out of balance due to blocked energy along special points called 'meridians', which are located along invisible channels of energy flow throughout the body.

Shiatsu is a Japanese word: "shi" meaning finger, and "atsu" meaning pressure. Shiatsu is a form of Japanese massage based on acupressure. Shiatsu uses rhythmic pressure from 3 to 10 seconds on specific points along the body's meridians by using the fingers, hands, elbows, and knees to unblock and stimulate the flow of energy. Oriental-based systems of finger pressure massage, such as acupressure and Shiatsu that treat points along the acupressure meridians, aiming to release discomfort and rebalance energy. 

Sports Massage

Sports massage is geared toward athletes of every kind, from world-class professionals to weekend joggers. It is a special form of massage and is typically used before, during, and after athletic events. Sports massage can help prevent those niggling injuries that so often get in the way of performance and achievement, whether a person is an athlete or a once a week jogger. 

 
It is designed to address those specific concerns and may differ according to the sport the athlete plays. Sports massage can be aimed to help heal strained muscles and allow healthy ones to reach peak performance and maintain it while minimizing the risk of injury. 

Sports massage can also include pre-event, post-event and maintenance techniques that promote greater athletic endurance and performance, lessen chances of injury and reduce recovery time. In addition to feeling good, sports massage reduces the heart rate and blood pressure, increases blood circulation and lymph flow, reduces muscle tension, improves flexibility and relieves pain.

 
Acupressure

Acupressure has been practiced for over 5000 years. It is a form of bodywork based in traditional Chinese meridian theory in which acupuncture points are pressed to stimulate the flow of energy or chi. The technique is based on the same ideas as acupuncture. In acupressure, physical pressure is applied to acupuncture points by the hand, elbow or with various devices.

 
The therapist applies pressure to small contraction knots, relieving pressure. Acupressure stimulates these points to remove blockages, to increase the energy flow and to promote health and harmony in the body. Shiatsu is the most widely known form of acupressure and Zhi Ya is a form of Chinese massage based on acupressure. 

 
Reflexology

Reflexology is an acupressure type technique performed on the hands and feet. It is a form of bodywork based on the theory of zone therapy, in which specific spots of the body are pressed to stimulate corresponding areas in other parts of the body. Reflexology is a scientific foot massage based on the principal that the feet are a "mini-map" of the body, and that every body part and organ corresponds to an area of the foot.

 
Designed to help bring the body back into balance reflexology uses pinpoint pressure and gentle strokes to the feet. Reflexology eliminates tension, improves circulation and stimulates the body's natural healing process. A reflexology session is meant to break-up stress patterns within the body and provide an overall relaxing experience.

"Mom, Dad I'd like to do cyber school next fall."

Ok, now everyone guess what their first concern was... Bueno!

"How will that affect college?"

Good question! This is another one of those tough questions to answer because there are a bunch of different colleges and cyber schools with different ideologies, standards and opinions.

I first took this question to my school counselor. She let me know that it shouldn't be a problem for most colleges because I had been a good student before. Then I went to some friends of mine who have been schooled online their entire lives. They told me essentially the same thing. It was very reassuring, but I've found in my 16 years of life that it's best to build a body of knowledge for most things because you will never know when it will come in handy, like face painting or unicycle riding (I haven't totally mastered the second yet).

Googling this subject found me a lot of sights about cyber colleges. Interesting, but not quite what I am looking for....aha! A site called college confidential has the answer to this question in an article called "Cyber School and College Admissions."

His overall point is that being schooled online shouldn't hurt your chances at a good college. Before it was looked on with more skepticism, but now virtual school's popularity is quickly growing, and gaining respect also. Most colleges today will have a separate page for cyber schooling requirements.

For example, Penn State offers a web page of requirements for home schooled students. Home school students are basically required the same things as kids who go to public schools. Home schooling isn't the same as cyber schooling, but it is usually grouped in the same categories and looked upon similarly.

Personally I am happy to know that my choice to be in online school will not have a negative effect on colleges, but I am not sure that I will be going to college in a couple years.

I have decided to go into ministry when I am older. I think in my case it would be better if I could gain more experience working with other than going to a college, not that I am ruling out colleges. My biggest gripe with colleges is the insane amount of debt they give you.

So what could I do instead?

Well James Altucher has about 8 alternatives to college. They are to:

1. Start a business

2. Travel the world

3. Create art

4. Make people laugh (teaches how to communicate with people, and can be used for things like writing)

5. Write a book

6. Work in a charity

7. Master a game

8. Master a sport

I can see none of these alternatives being hurt by virtual school. In fact in online school most of these can probably be started during all of the free time that is gained!