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An Important Overview of Online Legal Education by Phoenix Delray
in Education (submitted 2010-02-02)
There are several different websites on the Internet that provide courses that are approved by a particular state only, and there are others who serve several states with the required courses and information. Just be sure that any website that you work off of is approved by your specific state Board and that the courses that you take are also accredited. Be sure that you are spending your money on courses that will qualify for your compliance requirements. Every state has different requirements, so you should never expect that what you have done for one state will automatically be acceptable for another.
High quality online legal education websites provide convenient, thorough and beneficial opportunities to complete required work without having to sacrifice a lot of time, effort or money on the professionals part. You should find proof right on the website that convinces you that it is approved, and this information should be very easy to find. The best websites even have staff members who are trained CLE counselors that will offer attorneys personalized customer service and expertise.
Some websites also partner with select outside providers to bring required classes to legal professionals. Some of these professionals might be city bars, county bars, centers for online legal education, talk networks and others as well. One of the truly great things about taking CLE courses on the Internet from an approved website is the fact that the programs are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week all year round since the Internet never closes.
Look for websites that offer different membership levels so that you are able to choose the right amount of coursework for you at one time. You may also want to choose a website that allows you to pause and resume programs at your convenience so that the work that you do online towards your legal education requirements is as convenient and easy for you as it can be.
Getting Into a School
Finland has a network of 20 excellent universities and 29 polytechnics, all of which offer international education programs. Go to www.edu.fi to learn more about the Finnish educational system.
If you are currently enrolled in another university, you can explore different exchange opportunities by going to the following sites: www.edu.fi, www.finaid.com, and www.worldwide.edu. If you take the exchange path, you will have to continue to pay tuition at your home university. The second option is to apply directly to the Finnish institution. You can apply for specific study blocks or for a degree program. If you get accepted, you pay no tuition. The only fee is €75 a year for student union fees.
The student union offers some great benefits; check them out at www.tamy.fi.
Getting a Visa
Once you are accepted to a university, the application is simple. See www.finland.org for information. The biggest challenge for me was having the €5,000 ($6,000) minimum in my bank account.
Financial Concerns
Your biggest expenses will be rent and food. If you take advantage of the student housing options you can expect to pay between €130 and €500 per month. Food will cost €150-€300 per month. University cafeterias are also very affordable: about €2 per meal.
You can find some international insurance carriers at the following sites: www.ihi.com, www.globalcover.com, and www.imglobal.com. For international health insurance you can expect to pay between $75-$125 per month. A monthly bus pass costs €30 per month.
Including some room for miscellaneous and fun stuff, the total comes to somewhere between €550–€1,100 per month. Most people have to find a job to help make ends meet. This can be a challenge.
My first tip is to start looking for a job several months before arriving in Finland. Good web sites for jobs include www.uranus.fi and www.planetedu.com. A great forum for foreigners looking for jobs in Finland is www.iesaf.com.
Also, get creative—freelance writing or proofreading for magazines, for example. If you have experience with e-bay, there are some ways to make money buying and selling online. If you have teaching experience, there are many English language schools that are always looking for native speakers. Start your search at www.tefl.com. Another place to look is the American Scandinavian Foundation. Or look into the Au Pair program at www.aupair-world.net. Don’t expect the jobs to come to you; you’ll have to put in some hard work.
I’ve been in Tampere for just over a month and it’s been amazing. My classes feel like a United Nations summit. Every day I sit next to someone from a different country—Romania, Russia, Spain, Brazil, Germany, China, Italy. I’m learning Finnish. I found a job. Life is pretty good here in Finland. I hope to see you soon!
Zachary Sorrells is from Everett, PA