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I've looked at many plans for continuing education, and I'm now a senior student in a longtime, well-established university. I've been studying for several years. In mid-2007, I discovered Helium and realized its value in conjunction with my classes. I've been able to learn new information on Helium to help with my classes, and I've also been able to add to Helium articles with information from my classroom studies.

There are articles on Helium about which I know very little, and ones I wouldn't ordinarily go seeking out to read. But when it comes to rating, they often appear on my screen for my consideration. At first some seem to be of little interest, but after the first paragraph or two I find myself engrossed in the information. I read Article A first, and then I read article B to compare and see what it has to say. Well, both are good, so I read Article A again, and then B again. By the time I've read both articles a couple of times, the information has begun to sink in.

When I'm finished rating for that particular session, I realize how much new information I've been able to glean just from the rating process. Often, I contact the author to say I liked the article and a dialog begins about the subject. And just like that, I've learned even more. Sometimes, that information comes in handy later for a class.

But more often, I've had a class in a particular subject and notice a title for a subject that's familiar. By writing about it, it refreshes my memory on the information and I'm surprised by how much I know about the subject without having to do extra research. When I'm unsure, I pull one of my text books off the shelf to be able to write accurately and avoid inaccurate or misleading information in my article.

So Helium is a great continuing education plan. For those who are not students or who have been out of school for a long time, it's a wonderful way to learn new information about the world around us. There are many topics of interest and new titles being introduced all the time on Helium. Writing for Marketplace or the Pulitzer Center or contributing to the contest articles each week are terrific ways to increase knowledge.

To have articles generally ranking in the top quarter and earning writing stars, it is necessary to write quality articles. Gaining the writing skills necessary to assure that articles rank highly is an education in itself. If writing is the education you desire, the writing you do on Helium on a regular basis is an excellent way to hone your writing skills, and it can lead to a career in writing if you're a serious writing student interested in doing quality work.

Whatever your educational goals are, Helium can go hand in hand with college classes as an enhancement to your higher education, or it can BE your higher education. It's up to you to decide how it will best benefit you. No matter if you're enhancing your college education or learning all you can from Helium, do your best work and learn all you can from the writing and reading to make the most of Helium as a continuing education plan.

Learn more about this author, G. Allendorfer Anderson, PhD.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

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