How to cope with study related stress? (Infographic)

Mapping out your career (Infographic)

Shools proposition: Eduloan is perfectly positioned to assist the schools and teacher market!

Celebrating The Success of Business Women This Women’s Month

This month we are celebrating National Women’s Month and it poses the perfect opportunity to reflect on the role of women in South African businesses.

According to the 2013 Grant Thornton International Business Report, women hold just over 25% of top decision-making roles in South African businesses and the 2013 report indicated that 29% of South African businesses aim to employ more women within the next year. While government and businesses have to take responsibility to further the role of women in business, owes still lies with South African women to tap into their unique strengths as women to achieve in business as well.

Recent research has shown that a female presence in executive positions for listed companies impacts positively on stock prices which can boost a company’s performance. If you would like to further your career to become an influential business women in South Africa, we have some tips for you:

·         Never stop learning – further your studies and expand on your skills where possible

•  Make use of coaching, mentoring and training opportunities
• Take your time to build your reputation and pick your battles
• Understand the value of networking and start building relationships today.

 Eduloan celebrates the growth of the role of women in business and offer loans for short courses, part-time degrees as well as full-time degrees to assist South Africans in furthering their education. You can visit our website for more information www.eduloan.co.za.

How much interest do you charge per year? (Infographic)

What will I need to qualify for a loan from Eduloan? (Infographic)

Social media: a voice for the youth.

Social media has grown to such extent that it is a profound and integral part of our daily lives, something that we cannot live without.

Ask yourself this question, what were you doing with your free time, 4 years ago ans what are you doing with your free time now?  This might be more relevant to you, if you are between the ages of 15 to 36.

The reason for this might be simpler than one might think, for one it is because social media is easily accessible.  If we take a look at the mobile usage amongst South African youth, 72% of those between the ages of 15 and 24 have cell phones, according to the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF.  

 

This technology enables them to go onto their social media platform easily and without hassle.  For example, according to Social Bakers, the largest age group using Facebook in South Africa is between 25-34, followed by users between the ages of 18-24 and 90% of them are accessing this platform from their mobile device.

The biggest reason for the success of social media is not just because it is easily accessible, but also because it gives the youth, and everyone else, a voice that is loud and clear, one that is heard.  It gives them a chance to express themselves in ways that so many disapprove of, especially in public places such as schools, where students get judged by other students or people who don’t let them express themselves. If someone were to judge you on Facebook, twitter, etc. you can easily delete them which many can’t do outside of social media without the risk of being bullied.

There is also a sense of power and expression that builds self-esteem; they can converge with whoever they want whenever they want to. It can also be a way out for so many people, not just for the youth, who struggle in life, those who have no friends or aren’t as social as those around them. It gives them a chance to meet new people and find friends online, which they couldn’t have done due to being shy or nervous.

Social media also helps strengthen relationships. Many people have friends whom they have not seen since school, or who have moved away and this platform gives them the possibility of staying connected with one another.

Even though social media is sometimes perceived as just being a cool tool for young people, providing them with swift and easy means of communication it is also a platform to build their self-esteem. People are still quick to judge the legitimate and informed uses of social media platforms. However, having quick worldwide lines of communication predominantly involving our youth, is exactly what is needed, to reach, activate and involve them in matters concerning our environment, education and social well being.

Remember the youth are our future and if we want them to be part of the conversation, then social media is where we need to start the conversation.

Youth: A Catalyst For Educational Change

It is always interesting to notice how youth culture and behavior is shaping education. With the rise of the Internet we have seen an introduction of various new resources to class rooms as well as a variety of new study directions to accommodate the influx of youths who want to work in these fields. Here is a quick breakdown of five ways youth have become catalysts for change in education:

Change #1 – The introduction of technology in the classroom

The University of Johannesburg was one of the first South African universities to introduce compulsory tablets for all first year students. Many schools also include interactive white boards in the class room to enhance the classroom experience. Youth enjoy learning by means of technology and this encourages engagement and access to even more information.

Change #2 – The need for new ways to gain an education

Many universities and colleges choose to offer a variety of short online  courses  that students can take to earn credits toward a degree or just to enrich their skills or develop their existing skills.

Change #3 – Learning beyond the classroom

Many students enjoy taking their studies beyond the classroom, choosing to view lectures online in their own time, engaging in student forums or engaging with and sharing a variety of study materials. Institutions naturally have to make provision for this, allowing students to be able to supplement their studies with these kind of resources.

Change #4 – Enriched resources

Whether prescribed textbooks are available for tablet, or whether an institution chooses to engage students in a virtual space, many students prefer rich content. Youth have become accustomed to second screen experiences – they choose to tweet while they watch TV or Google matters of interest while watching the Discovery Channel. The need for rich resources has never been greater. Academic, literary and cultural references can be at hand when you refer to them and eliminate the fact that many students will forget to look up a reference in the library.

Change #5 – The type of courses on offer

The popularity of the Internet provides a variety of new opportunities and career paths. Many of those who are specialists in the field are young working people and this is but one example of how new technology and social advancements can shape the need for new departments in education… popular culture is no longer something you experience on MTV, but you can learn about it to ensure that you can include the best approaches in your marketing attempts. The rise in popularity of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Mxit among youth ensures that “best practices” are introduced in a syllabus as well.

Youth will always remain a dynamic part of our society and with the investment in youth and how they contribute to the future of South Africa, it is only natural that they play a role in how education is shaped.

What documents will I need to apply for a loan? (Infographic)

Eduloan: Opening Doors Across All Markets

Since 1996, Eduloan has helped over 720 000 South Africans to unlock potential by furthering their education. Eduloan is dedicated to offering a variety of loan solutions to students, parents, businesses and corporates as well as civil employees to further their education in order to unlock potential and to contribute to a brighter South Africa.

Whether you, your child or your employee is looking to complete school, graduate from college, technicon or university or if you require a solution to invest in your employees’ skills, we have a product to make education more accessible:

	Students and parents	Bursars and sponsors	Business and corporates	Civil employees	Schools and Tertiary institutions
Tuition loans for fulltime and part-time studies at school, university, collage and technicon	l	l	l	l	l
Further education opportunities to up-skill	l	l	l	l	l
A refresher course at a training facility	l	l	l	l	l
Study related equipment (including laptops and tablets)	l	l	l	l	l
Accommodation loans	l	l	l	l	l
Salary deduction	l	l	l	l	l
Fund and bursary management	l	l	l	l	l
Training fund management			l	l	l
Expense management			l	l	l
SCI fund management			l	l	l
Student attendance management	l	l	l	l	l

We have allocated over R 3, 7 billion in study loans and continue to pioneer products to allow South Africans to further their education, despite the current financial climate.

For more information and to find out how Eduloan can assist you to unlock even more potential, visit our website, contact out call centre 0860 55 55 44 or sms ‘EDU’ to 32150 and we will call you back!