Archives for August, 2008
Aug 29, 2008 | Uncategorized
College interviews are another chance for you to tell the admissions officers more about yourself. You will want to take the interview seriously, because it helps paint a better picture of you as a student.
Although it’s not a good idea to over-prepare yourself for a college interview, you should always anticipate certain questions that interviewers are prone to ask. These questions are designed to find out about your interests and passions. Following are some of interviewers’ favorite questions:
“Why do you want to come to this college?”
This question is to gauge how well you know about the school; i.e your level of interest. Some schools track interest and use it as a criteria for admission, so you’d do well to do research on the school you’re applying to. Read up the college’s literature and website, and tie it with your interests. Mix those with some reasons of your own, like the fact that it has a close-knit student community. If you can give some specific examples, the interviewer is likely to be impressed with your research.
“How would you contribute to this community?”
Colleges want givers. They want people who are able to add life to their campus. So make sure you let them know how you are going to do it. Talk about your skills, your experiences and your contributions. A good tip is to tell them how you plan to give back to the community; whether it’s tutoring fellow classmates in a subject you are strong at, chartering a new community chapter in the campus or sharing your ideas with fellow students.
“Which activities are most meaningful to you?”
Like the essay, you would want to mention activities that are your passions. You want the interviewer to know what makes you tick. But unlike the essay, you can discuss your activities at length without word limits. Resist the temptation to brag though. Talk with a natural style, and if you’re passionate about what you do, it’ll show. Talk about specific anecdotes; interviewers like hearing about personal stories. For example, if you are a music enthusiast, you can talk about your first performance and how you nearly fumbled on stage because you were too nervous. Don’t make up stories though.
“What books have you read lately?”
A lot of applicants think that this is a ‘trap’ question that they must give a book that is either intellectual or have good values. It doesn’t have to be. Just talk about a book you did read. Avoid the usual cliché titles that you read in English class though. Sicne part of the purpost is to gauge your initiative and creactivity, it’s better to pcik a book you found rather than the one assigned to you. Don’t lie about the books you read though; if the interviewer happens to be familiar with a particular book you fabricated, you’ll be in trouble.
In the end, the interviewer wants to know more about you, so just be yourself.
Devin is a college applicant who has researched the complexity of the college admissions process for two years. His acceptances include the honors program at the University of Michigan and Cambridge University in the UK. He runs an admissions website at admissions-guide.info admissions-guide.info dedicated to helping students in the college admissions process.
Aug 29, 2008 | Uncategorized
The era commonly known as Early Modern Warfare began during the middle of the fifteenth century and lasted until the end of the eighteenth century. The widespread use of gunpowder along with the weapons designed to use it, changed the methods of warfare dramatically.
China had been using gunpowder for centuries before the European countries began using it. Cannons were the first common weapons to use gunpowder. But at the time, all weapons that used gunpowder were generally large, very heavy, required many men to deploy them and were unwieldy to say the least. Cannons first appeared in Europe during the late Middle Ages and their primary use was for attacking castles. The development of the siege cannon quickly made the use of castles and their tall walls, for your main defense obsolete. The siege cannon meant that the attacker was now favored to be the ultimate battle winner. As a result, the character of the defensive position had to be changed. The high castle walls gave way to slopping walls. These slopping walls would deflect the cannon shots and allow the primary defense mechanism, the wall itself, to remain intact. Castles with their tall and relatively thin walls became obsolete as a defense tool.
The castles gave way to fortresses. These fortresses were built with thick slopping walls. To defend themselves, cities had to spend vast amount of money to build the new fortresses. These fortresses, with their ability to sustain cannon fire then brought back the Siege as the primary tactic for attacking a position
A siege is the assault of a city or fortress with the intent of winning through attrition, a more modern term is a blockade. When an attacker could not get the city or fortress to surrender and realizing that a direct frontal attack would not be successful would resort to the siege tactic. A siege usually meant the attackers would surround the target, either the city or a fortress with the intent of blocking the entry of supplies and provisions to the inhabitants.
Common siege tactics were
1. Mining or sapping
Mining or sapping involved digging a tunnel under the walls of the castle or fortress. The mines would have wooden reinforced walls for support. Once complete the attackers would fill the mine with flammable materials and set it on fire. Later, with the use of gunpowder, the mines would be filled with explosives, which was a much more effective use of the %u201Csapping or mining%u201D. The purpose of the sapping, or mining was to bring down the wall over the mine and allow an entrance point for the attackers.
2. Artillery bombardment. Using everything thing imaginable to go over the wall of the fortress or castle and inflict harm.
3. The use of the siege engines.
There are many types of siege engines. The general categories are ballista, battering ram, catapult, helepolis, mangonel, onager, siege tower and trebuchet.
Ballista: This is a powerful weapon that resembles a giant crossbow. The purpose of the ballista was to throw heavy arrows. It could shoot the arrows one at a time or in groups. The ballista is also knows as a bolt thrower. In earlier times the Romans used the ballista to hurl large stones but during the Middle Ages the ballista was modified to throw arrows, which at the time were known as bolts. The crossbow is believed to have been inspired by the early ballista. The ballista was made of wood and used animal sinew as the rope or string. Winches were used to pull back (cock) the ballista.
BalisstaThe ballista was a very accurate weapon when hurling bolts (arrows) but the accuracy was gained at the expense of range. The first known use of a ballista was in Italy in 400 B.C. The catapult was a natural evolution of the ballista.
Battering Ram: Battering rams are devices used to break through fortification walls or doors. They have been in use since ancient time. The simplest form of a battering ram is a large heavy log carried by several attackers to hit the fortress or castle door or wall. The objective is to do enough damage to the wall or door to allow the attackers inside.
A more efficient design of the battering ram was to use a wheeled frame to carry it. The battering ram was suspended by ropes or chains which allowed the ram to be much larger and be swung more easily. The sides and roofs of this improved type of battering ram were sometime covered with protective materials to keep them from being set on fire and to protect the attackers.
Some battering rams were not suspended by ropes or chains but were placed on rollers instead. This would allow the ram to gain much higher speed and thus inflict much more damage. The writer Vitruvius described this type of rolling battering ram as used by Alexander the Great.
To defend themselves from a battering ram the defenders would drop obstacles in front of the battering ram or use grappling hooks to immobilize the ram or set the ram and/or its frame on fire. Another defense was to simply launch an attack on the ram as it approached them.
The use of battering rams can be traced to the destruction of Jerusalem and the fall of Rome. They were used throughout the Crusades too.
Catapult: A catapult is a type of siege engine used to hurl a projectile a long distance. Catapults were not weapons that the attackers carried with them into battle and they were generally built on the battle site. They are made from wood and it was plentiful on most battlefields.
The differentiation of differing types of catapults comes from the way they used to store and release their energy.
The first type of catapult was a variation of the Roman ballista. These used rope or animal sinew to hurl the objects. The rope or sinew was pulled back under tension and when the tension was released the energy carried the projectile. So if the catapult stored and released the energy through tension, it is considered a tensional catapult.
Another type of catapult is the torsion catapult. These have an arm with a bucket, cup or sling to hold the projectile. The force is transferred to the sling through the use of rope at the other end of the throwing arm. These ropes are placed are pulled tight to %u201Cload%u201D the catapult with torsion energy.
Aug 28, 2008 | Uncategorized
Many people think that humans are divine and made in the image of God. Yet, we see Chimpanzees are so very similar to us in so many ways. In fact they are more like human children than animals. If we are to classify chimpanzees as animals then humans are animals too. Some say that Humans should not be classified as animals and deserve a separate category, not so. But if you do not believe me then I suggest you check out the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute at Central Washington University in Washington State, USA;
cwu.edu/~cwuchci
You should read the entire website and watch some of the online videos as well and the book below is a Must Read too if you are interested in this particular subject and you will be fascinated as it is very interesting indeed. The book is called;
“Next of Kin” By Roger Fouts
cwu.edu/~cwuchci/next_of_kin_book.html
There is a very famous Chimpanzee which has been part of their study who goes by the name of Washoe and Washoe knows and was taught ASL American sign language and there are some incredible stories of emotion and near human empathy too. Here is a quote from his Book:
“Washoe has taught me that we are both a part of the natural world we share with all our fellow animals. She has taught me that personhood is something we share, and that personhood goes beyond species classifications. She has taught me that human arrogance is very lethal to our fellow beings on this planet, especially when it is combined with human ignorance. She has taught me that the most profound scientific discoveries are often based on the most humble approach. She has taught me that compassion is one of our dearest traits, and that we should value it above all others, including intelligence. She helped me to realize that if we humans do not embrace and respect our fellow species on this planet, then we stand a good chance of destroying the whole thing.”
Roger also talks about Chimpanzees inventing tools and then making them to complete tasks all by themselves without coaxing. They think, plan, strategize and react. They are practically human except for the few differences in DNA. You will be blown away and then you will see my points and comments and why I made them.
I further recall similar empathy stories in Jane Goodale’s notes and her book as well and remember mention of such in one of her talks at the Tucson, AZ. You see folks Humans and Chimpanzees really are our cousins. Consider this in 2006.
“Lance Winslow” - Online WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/ Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; WorldThinkTank.net www.WorldThinkTank.net/
Aug 28, 2008 | Uncategorized
Putting together a list of the top universities in the Southwest opens one up to criticism from many different factions. Alums from the great Southwestern schools take it very personally when they see their alma mater losing rank and swell with pride at a gain. Faculty and staff are also eager to see their schools rank well. Happily, this list has not been composed to stroke the egos of graduates and employees but to help guide those who are searching for the school that is right for them, the students of tomorrow.
Choosing a school can be a grueling and anxiety provoking process. Will this decision change the course of your life? Actually, it very well may. Your friendships, your understanding of the world, and your future life course can all be shaped during the crucial years of education. In fact, if the school you choose does not somehow determine who you are and who you become, then you have chosen unwisely. It is the job of our educational institutions to help shape us and guide us toward becoming the best that we can be at whatever it is we set out to do.
With this in mind, those researching this list have taken into careful consideration not only high academic standards (an absolute must), but also the quality of campus life, along with several other factors essential for an enriching university experience. And so, with no further ado, here is the list:
1. University of Texas, Austin, TX
It will be no surprise to those who gauge Southwestern universities to see the University of Texas topping this list. Nestled in Austin, Texas, one of the most beloved Southwestern cities, the University of Texas consistently delivers outstanding performance throughout the spectrum of qualities deemed most important in a school: Academics are stellar; student life is rich and fulfilling; alums go on to rewarding and varied careers. For those seeking an education in the Southwest, it is hard to better than acquiring one of the sought-after enrollment slots at this prestigious institution.
2. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Texas A&M University was the first of Texas’s public schools and has grown into a top-notch institution. The university has expanded beyond its “agriculture and machinery” roots into all fields, exhibiting excellence in many. At the same time, Texas A&M has retained a spirit of tradition. The combination of academic excellence and old Texas spirit makes Texas A&M an irresistible choice for many and lands the school at number two on this list.
3. Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
Brigham Young University earns the third place on this list with its outstanding educational programs and high quality of student life. BYU sits among spectacular mountains, offering acclaimed language and performing arts programs. Note that the school’s sponsor is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; all programs are designed to be consistent with the principles of that faith.
4. Baylor University, Waco, TX
The third of four Texas campuses to make this list, Baylor University in Waco earns top marks with its uniquely effective combination of high academic standards and Baptist faith. The Baylor seals sums up the mission of the school: “Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana.” That is, “For Church, For Texas.”
5. Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX
Rounding out the top five Southwestern schools is Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, Texas. SMU gains its high ranking by offering relatively small class size and easily accessible professors. SMU’s urban location affords students the additional benefit of cultural enrichment as well as internship experience in the university’s host city.
Review more industry related articles by Chris Stout at CareersandEducation.com. Chris Stout is a CareersandEducation.com feature writer that often covers topics relating to careersandeducation.com/on-campus-education Campus and Online Degree Programs and careersandeducation.com/careers Career Planning.
Aug 28, 2008 | Uncategorized
Once you make the decision that you are going to choose nursing as your career then you have to select what kind of nursing degree you are going to earn from online nursing schools. Online associate nursing degree program offers several kinds of nursing degree. The kind of online associate nursing degree varies with the specialty and setting. Most of the nurses get the job in hospitals where they need to work at different positions. One may choose one particular kind of field that suits him or her best. On the other hand it is possible to choose the position that gives the liberty of moving throughout the hospital.
What Are The Career Opportunities
If you have a nursing degree from any of the online nursing schools then you several career opportunities in the institutes other than hospitals also. For example, you can get a job in the offices of the physicians, day surgery centers, outpatient facilities, medical clinics and schools. A nursing degree also makes you eligible for getting a job in dialysis centers; long-term care facilities and several other corporate settings such as home care agencies, insurance companies and public health departments. All these institutes are always look for professionals with a nursing degree.
After earning a nursing degree if you wish to start your own business and wish to become your own boss then you can start working on contract for any legal nurse consultancy firm. Once you become an expert legal nurse consultant you can start your own separate business. The career opportunities and the possibilities are unlimited after getting a nursing degree. You have to choose the most appropriate one from the hundreds of the options before you. With the help of different kind of online associate nursing degree program you can easily achieve your goal.
Online associate nursing degree program offers the facility of getting education of different level so that you can get different kinds of nursing degree. Some of these are as follows: -
1. PN program or practical nurse
2. ADN or associate degree nurse
3. BSN program or Bachelor of Science degree in nursing
4. MSN diplomas or Master of Science in nursing
5. PhD in nursing
The level of these degrees may be different but it doesn’t mean that you can take any nursing degree lightly. You have to make academic preparations very seriously even if you opt for the lowest level of nursing degree. Similarly, you must take the clinical training also very sincerely. However, if you cannot wait for a longer period of time then it is better to go for the PN program to become a practical nurse.
E. Jain is a professional writer and writes on popular online topic. To get more information on associate-degree-nursing-online.com Online Associate Nursing Degree visit the large resources on varied topics like associate-degree-nursing-online.com/online_associate_nursing_degree_school.htm Online Associate Nursing Degree School and associate-degree-nursing-online.com/nursing_degree.htm Nursing Degree on her website.
You can reprint this article as long as the content remain the same and proper reference of the author and his resources are reproduced as it is.
Aug 28, 2008 | Uncategorized
The thrill of driving a motorcycle compares with nothing else. Unfortunately, the consequences of this thrill, when used improperly, can turn out to be really expensive too.
True, motorcycles make our driving experiences almost magical, but they can be dangerous weapons if not driven with utmost care. Motorcycle Driving Schools help us to learn to make our motorcycle driving experiences pleasurable.
To drive a motorcycle, be it for normal driving or race driving, we need to have a special permit on our licenses. A class M is normally a must to be able to drive a motorcycle. Rules and regulations concerning this differ from state to state. But no matter how different the rules, all states require a written as well as a road-test skill exam from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Such tests can be avoided by passing other courses certified and approved by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s beginner’s rider’s course, or by basic courses at schools approved by DMV. Hence, Motorcycle Driving Schools exist to make us learn the basics as well as advanced forms of motorcycle driving.
Schools such as Trama’s Auto School, Iron Stone Ventures, Bay Area Motorcycle Training, and Motorcycle Safety School usually provide courses which help us in gaining adequate knowledge and skills to drive successfully on the road.
The aforementioned schools provide motorcycle training to drivers at all levels, from beginner to advanced. Courses are all based on standards set by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and include a combination of classroom instruction and on-road practice sessions. Classroom instruction usually involves imparting instructions on the basics of riding, controlling motorcycles, and other necessary techniques to drive safely.
The Motorcycle Safety School offers courses six days a week, with each course lasting for about two to two and a half days. It also includes a mixture of classroom and on-road lessons. Starting with the basics, it proceeds on to the more advanced skills needed in driving.
DrivingSchool-web.com Driving School provides detailed information about driving schools, advanced driving school, courtesy driving schools, defensive driving schools and more. Driving School is the sister site of e-DriversEducation.com Drivers Education Classes.
Aug 27, 2008 | Uncategorized
I am incredibly grateful and amazed to have attracted this information. The Law of Attraction: Yes; it works whether we want it to or not. What is delightfully impressed on the soul is applying this to your life. I have heard individuals struggle with this knowledge; feeling overwhelmed, some saddened by the thoughts that created their lives: if what they are experiencing is not effectively bright. Move forward…. I really want every man, woman, teenager and child to know something. No one is against you and the Universe is completely on your side. It is wonderful to start from right where you are. Yes! At this very moment. This is beautiful information. And it is wonderful to seek more information. We are growth seeking. There is nothing wrong with wanting to advance, to have and be more.
There are Universal Laws that govern our Universe and we are not exempt. You are in part and whole of the Universe. Wow! Think of this for a moment; really think of this. The Universal Laws that when understood; illuminates your being and presence in this world. Nothing is to be feared. It simply is what it is and the knowing is refreshing.
What is so great about this? Applying these laws directly to your own life. It is my belief every person should know this information. It need not matter what your spiritual beliefs are; for truly there is One Infinite Intelligence in the mass of our existence. God Intelligence is the foundation in and through these Universal Laws and I affirm all will come to know and apply this truth.
The Science to Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles is truly a spiritual journey. Michael Beckwith says” It is a mandate for you to want to be rich; as God can express more in and through you.” Bob Proctor, Jack Canfield and Michael Beckwith understand that to have a real enriching life one must have a spiritual foundation. I am beyond impressed. I am incredibly grateful. This is answered prayer. Wow…. looking forward to writing more on this topic…
Unity Believer
unity.thesgrprogram.com unity.thesgrprogram.com
Aug 27, 2008 | Uncategorized
Images of psychic art are recorded in our earliest visual records covering centuries of time. An examination of prehistoric man, ancient sages and shaman’s, to the modern day psychic artist we find an intuitive acceptance of pictures. Psychic art is one of our greatest tools of communication and intuitive comprehension of space that expands our physical reality, pleases the eye as well as the logic of mind.
The term psychic art is a form of automatism representing a person whose writing, drawing, painting or musical performance occurs without conscious control or knowledge. Premonitions of future events, messages from beyond the grave, and scenes from the distant past are available to review in vivid color, shapes and lines in sharp contrast of physical reality. The term psychic art is somewhat of a deliberate umbrella used to include almost everything in the field including forms of tribal art, folk art and that of today’s suggestion of spirit drawing. It is safe, valid but a very general term of automatism.
Some of the most competent and promising contributions of psychic art on public record has been utilized in criminal investigation such as zeroing in on a rapist or other hideous crimes such as the hillside strangler of Los Angeles in which the psychic artist produced renderings of the suspect and other clues related to the crime during the investigation. Such records are rare in view of the onslaught of mail and phone calls that law enforcement agencies receive following media coverage of these gruesome crimes.
The cultural phenomena of the early Victorian fascination with spiritualism and other pseudo-sciences championed the terrain of paranormal research in the nineteenth century. Observations at that time separated paranormal phenomena from the psychology of mind.
Reports by leading researchers such as Sir William Crooks and William James presented evidence of automatic writing and drawing. Carl Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious; examined automatism and consequently propelled the variedness of both psychology and parapsychology studies.
Psychic art-automatism was presented repeatedly and conclusively by a respondent in Remote Viewing experiments conducted at the Mobius Group headed up by Stephen Schwartz in the 1980’s. The term remote viewing is the ability to perceive places, persons and actions that are not within the range of the five senses.
There is a large market for spirit guide drawings or renderings illustrating messages from deceased relatives listed under the umbrella term of Psychic Art through various channeling sources. The practitioner, sometimes referred to as a Medium, mentally connects with the spirit world to produce the art work for the customer.
Authentic oil paintings created in genuine psychic automatism, documented in the 1970’s through news and broadcast are now being released for publication in prints. An extraordinary illustration supporting psychic art- automatism was the 1979 CBS documentary in Psychic Phenomena; filmed the psychic artist painting with eyes closed. Another example was a BBC Nova in “Horizons in ESP” Those titles considered for reproduction are “Earth Mother”, “Alpha Theta Omega”, “Ohm 1” and “Earth Father”. Images and colors from the deepest realms of the paranormal onto the canvas and then out to the public are sure to open up new dimensions of profound thought for the public at large.
Psychic Art Automatism is often associated with Surrealism. The mechanics of Surrealism is divided into two groups of expression, Automatism or “Absolute” and “Veristic”. The Veristic form transforms objects from the physical world into their paintings. The Absolute form derives their imagery purely from spontaneous thought.
The 1920’s and 1930’s was a significant era for Surrealism in the United States. Leading the great surrealist movement of the times was Salvador Dali who is considered the greatest surrealist master of art of the twentieth century. In a critical appreciation of the historical principles of art, Surrealism was not a social action, yet it remains a symbol of cultural liberation of the times.
Psychic Art Automatism, on the other hand, is entirely the scope of the unconscious mind attributed to phenomena that cannot be explained by natural laws. It is often predictive in nature but remains one of the less investigated psychic skills in parapsychology.
Perhaps a presence in a museum would create an active market for Psychic Art Automatism but most likely for only the elite group of paranormal societies.
Barbara Soblewski Garcia’s website starmerge.com starmerge.com, offers a wide range of services from private ESP consultations to ESP development classes, an Art Gallery and prints store. Barbara gained mass recognition in the Seventies with her involvement in several criminal cases, most notably The Hillside Strangler. Over the years her psychic powers has been thoroughly tested by numerous investigations in both lab and field settings.
Aug 27, 2008 | Uncategorized
Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) was truly a gift to mankind. His inventions profoundly helped to shape the modern world. His genius, insatiable curiosity and unstoppable persistence combined to bring us the incandescent electric light bulb, the telephone receiver, the microphone, the motion picture projector, the phonograph, the mimeograph, the dictating machine, the alkaline nickel-iron storage battery and so much more from his grand total of 1,093 patented inventions.
At age 10 he set up a chemical lab in his home and it wasn’t long before he was operating a homemade telegraph set.
At 21 be became a free-lance inventor, soon earning a $40,000 fortune.
At 29 he opened a laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey and vowed that he’d create a minor invention every 10 days and a major one every 6 months. Soon he had 40 different projects going at once and was applying for as many as 400 patents per year. In the middle of all this he formed Edison Electric Light Company (now General Electric). By then he was a mere 31 years old.
His pursuit of the light bulb alone involved the testing of untold thousands of filament materials in order to find a long-burning conductor that would require the least electrical power.
The light bulb was invented simultaneously by Edison and by Britain’s Sir Joseph Wilson Swan in 1879. Swan was first to actually construct a light bulb. But the additional challenge was that the filament had to be housed in an oxygen-free environment, and Swan had trouble maintaining a vacuum.
Edison achieved a few hours of light with a platinum filament in a glass vacuum bulb. “We are striking it big,” Edison said. “Where this thing is going to stop, Lord only knows.”
The thousands of filament materials that Edison tested included the carbonized filaments of some 6,000 living plants. “I ransacked the world for the most suitable filament material,” he said after finally coming up with the one that started it all for the electric lamp.
Edison demonstrated the first carbon-filament lamp on October 21, 1879. And within no more than a year after that he had developed a 16-watt light bulb that could last for 1500 hours.
So the gas lamp faded into history, and Edison went on to bigger things. Within three years he had developed and installed the world’s first large central electric power station in New York City. It rose as a contribution that facilitated the electrical illumination of entire cities in America and all over the world.
You can thank the extraordinary Thomas Edison whenever you switch on a lamp. Table lamps, floor lamps, desk lamps, porch lamps, garden lamps, street lamps, headlamps… we take them so for granted. But what would life be like without them?
No wonder America’s Thomas Alva Edison received the Congressional Gold Medal in 1928 for “inventions that have revolutionized civilization in the last century.”
Copyright MBPCO 2006 and beyond. Elizabeth Miller is a professional freelance copywriter and a general partner in Miller Bridges Partners. Here’s where you’ll see more information about thatslamps.com lamps
Aug 27, 2008 | Uncategorized
Locksmith training is for the creative and ambitious person with a mechanical aptitude, good hand-eye coordination and the patience to work with delicate mechanisms and parts. Members of a profession that is never likely to go away, locksmiths are entrusted with the safety of people, property, information and other resources. If you are an honest, bondable and personable individual, a career as a locksmith can be highly lucrative and rewarding.
Locksmith courses train new specialists in the profession and upgrade those who have already obtained some skills. As well as the traditional skills of lock picking, lock fitting, key cutting, rekeying, and safe opening, locksmith training now includes more recent technologies - electromagnetic lock systems, digital locks and combinations, and computerized security systems. Much of the background knowledge required for these new technologies can only be taught in a formal course setting (rather than on the job), and there is a definite trend toward credentialing and licensing for locksmiths, so locksmith schools are more and more in demand.
In the United States, midrange annual earnings for locksmiths are about $31,000. Earnings tend to be higher in the northeastern states and in the District of Columbia. Predictably, credentialed professionals who have succeeded in formal locksmith training have an easier time starting their own businesses and are favored over other candidates by employers. Those who invest in continuing education to stay up to date by taking locksmith courses will naturally maintain a good reputation with people who use their services.
Employment opportunities for locksmiths and safe repairers are expected to increase modestly between now and 2014: about 16 percent. Regionally, the increase in opportunities will be greater: America’s Career InfoNet predicts that Idaho, Utah, Virginia, Nevada, and New Mexico will all require more than 30 percent more locksmiths and safe repairers by 2014. Again, graduates of locksmith training programs will be in the best position to take advantage of these opportunities.
Most colleges and schools that offer locksmith courses have websites now and are happy to provide information to potential students. To investigate and compare locksmith schools, visit websites and request information packages. Various educational formats are available, including on site, on line, and distance locksmith training.
R. Drysdale is a contributing editor to