Reasons Why It Is Worth To Enroll In An Online PhD Program

Higher Ed Geek always strives to bring you the latest news and advice involving the role of education within the modern world. So, it only makes sense that we tackle the subject of online PhD courses. What makes them so popular and why do they represent great opportunities for advancement?

A More Economical Alternative

If money is a concern, you will be very happy to learn that online PhD courses are significantly cheaper than their real-world counterparts. With costs ranging between $4,000 and $20,000 dollars, even those on a limited budget will normally be able to make ends meet.

More Opportunities to Organize Your Time

As there are a growing number of institutions which offer online programs, you can enjoy a greater sense of flexibility. It is often possible to schedule the courses around your requirements, so those with full-time professions will still be able to obtain a quality education. This also helps to strengthen the learning curve; enabling you to absorb a greater amount of information when the time is right.

Preparation for the World of Teaching

Are you considering teaching as a profession? If so, online PhD programs can be excellent options. While you will be able to gain entry into public schools, a more advanced degree can open up additional doors such as positions as a university-level professor. Thanks to the prevalence of chat forums and immediate access to tutors, you can also learn powerful communication skills. Another factor to remember is that classes are becoming increasingly tailored to fewer students, so the level of attention that can be devoted to each individual has increased in recent years. Many credits can likewise be transferred into real-world institutions if necessary.

Additional Skills and Talents

Another lesser-known advantage of any online course is that you will naturally build your technical skills. Often referred to as a learning management system (LMS), these programs are becoming an increasingly important part of the digital world. Other traits which can be developed include:

• Understanding webinars and VoIP networks.
• Working with modern word processors.
• Sharing documents.
• Leveraging the power of digital audio/visual media.

Becoming More Resourceful and Independent

You truly are your own boss when registering for an online PhD program. You will therefore develop discipline and independence along the way. Such responsibilities will prove to be invaluable when you ultimately enter into the workforce. Many employers are eagerly searching for such traits and in return, you could very well find that a greater number of positions are available.

When you complete the training, be sure to speak directly with the specialists at Maxxima Group. Whether referring to occupational therapy jobs or a board-certified surgeon, this team offers flexible and high-quality staffing solutions which are specifically designed for the health care sector. Possessing a PhD will open up an untold world of opportunities and there is no better time than the present to begin this rewarding journey.

Why is the Gaming Industry Growing So Fast?

The gaming industry is an industry that is growing at an exponential rate. Last year, according to some UK stats, the gaming industry was worth over a record-breaking $5 billion, not to mention the impact that the gaming industry had on other industries like merchandising, entertainment, and film. So at the rate things are going, it is likely that the industry will be adding at least another billion dollars to that in the next few years. In fact, when you look at those kinds of stats, it is making the gaming industry the fifth largest in the world, and the biggest in places like Europe as a whole. Pretty astounding just how much of an influence it can have.

The rise of gaming has a lot to do with the advancements in technology, and the fact that you can press download, and in an instant you will have it on your phone or tablet. Not to mention the fact that you can easily watch gamers play online, as well as YouTube videos. So if you want to know how to do something for your game, you are likely to reach out to one of these sources.

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Because so many people are gaming, at least at some point in their week, it has meant that some previous and quite dull tasks, including things like fact-sharing, have been given a whole new lease of life. And this is a trend that quite rightly, companies are taking note of and using it to their advantage. Increased awareness around gaming and more of a positive look at gaming has impacted the whole industry of gaming in a positive way. For companies and gamers, it leads to more funding opportunities, and a chance to make a business out of gaming if they haven’t already. Take a game like RunScape, for example. There are several sites online that sell RS Gold for gamers to buy, so that they can carry on in their game and get bigger and better at it. This wouldn’t have even been considered an idea for a business even ten years ago.

When more people are wanting to work in the sector, then t shows the demand for it, and that in turn, will have influence over the gaming companies and how they decide to do things. And this rolls out to gaming in a professional sense too. You don’t just have to see gaming in the traditional or recreational sense, as educational establishments can use the industry to their advantage too. It is what the students will understand, so certain parts of it can be carried over.

The industry is on the rise and here to stay, because of the top talent that the industry recruits. It needs to attract the right skilled workers to the job roles, otherwise they will go elsewhere for work. So it is a competitive job industry. And when a company hires the brightest and the best, the jobs will be more competitive, and more people will want to work there, as their business growth will get better and better. In that vein, it can be easy to see why there are several Universities around the world now that are doing gaming-related degrees. It shows that it is an industry that is here to stay.

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Funding for the industry has to play a big part in the rise of the industry. For example, if there wasn’t the same funding, then would the same companies be able to do what they do and make the games and apps that they make? The support and funding needs to be staying at the same level, if not more, to help grow the industry. It would be interesting to see how the industry would do as a whole, if some of the funding were to be cut.

Not for profit groups like British-based Creative England, is an example of the kind of funding that has helped the industry to grow. Using things like ‘games labs’ they are able to train people up, and help people to learn the skills that they need to develop games or simply to get into it at a deeper level. And with the rise of VR gaming, it will be good to see how things like these ‘games labs’ can help people learn about a whole brand new element to gaming.

What are your thoughts on this? How far has the gaming industry got to go? It would be great to hear what you think.

Reading Up: Bookish Ways To Improve Your Life

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When you’re a bookworm, there’s nothing quite like the idea of getting your hands on the next book in your favorite series, or cozying up with a new discovery that you picked up in a second-hand book shop. Reading can quite easily consume your life, and you wouldn’t want it any other way. But if you’re not much of an avid bookworm, but you do love to read, you may find that you could benefit from adding a little more literature into your life. Because reading is a really great way to better yourself.

There are many benefits of reading. But many say that it makes you smarter. So if you’re looking to improve yourself while at college, or at any point in your career, you should always look to books. However, that being said, you don’t have just to assume that you have to read textbooks or classics. Of course, they will help you to broaden your understanding of both literature and the world, but they’re not your only options. There are so many weird and wonderful ways that books and bookworm related ideas can help you to flourish. So, we’re going to talk through ten different bookish ways that you can improve your life.

Challenging Yourself

First up, we’re going to talk about those classics. Because they really should be read at some stage. Not every classic is going to appeal to you, but you will find that reading one or two will really help to open your eyes to words and literature, and inspire your mind too. If you’re new to reading the classics, or you want to push yourself, this classic books challenge could be exactly what you need to get inspired. Simply slotting in a classic every now and again should be enough for you to challenge yourself and benefit from some of the best literature the world has to offer.

Researching

And you really ought to consider picking up a nonfiction book every now and again if you want to grow. We’re not necessarily talking straight up textbooks here, but if you fancy flicking through one, give it a go. In general, if you commit to doing some kind of research within your reading, you’re going to improve your life. You’ll be learning, taking in new things, and broadening your understanding of a certain topic - and that can only ever be a good thing.

Reading The News

Now we’re going to talk about another form of reading you should commit to on a regular basis if you want to improve. Newspapers are still wildly relevant. Even if you tent to pick up snippets of world events on social media, don’t forget about the classic dailies and more in-depth broadsheets stuffed full of interesting articles and thought-provoking insight. Yes, you can get a lot of this online, but there’s nothing like a paper.

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Taking On Different Opinions

Similarly, what about reading a magazine or two? And we’re not talking the gossip rags or something about cars. Of course, feel free to take these in two if they’re what you really love. But, if you’re trying to push yourself with your reading, opt for something criticism or comment lead - every a literary magazine. These are the kind of options that are going to challenge you to think differently.

Learning A New Language

Maybe you’d like to take the idea of learning something new a step forward and opt for a new language? Although you may be used to this being taught in a lesson format, you can learn a new language by reading literature if you put your mind too it. And that’s always going to be something that’ll allow you to better yourself.

Discovering A New Interest

Perhaps you’re curious about one type of literature in particular, or even a topic in life? Reading can help you with this. Whether it’s reading up on literary fiction, or getting to know more about lakes, reading can certainly increase your interests. Sometimes, you never really know that you’re going to discover said new interest. So you have to be willing to pick up a book in order to access the opportunity at all.

Reading Up On The Past

And what about history? Are you fascinated by the fifties? Or have you always wanted to know more about the battle of Britain? Either way, reading is the best way to find out. After all, not only are there several texts written about historical events, with even more being published each year, there are titles that were written in history too. So you can get to know a topic via the words of someone that was around at the time.

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Escaping

But reading doesn’t just have to be about intellectual growth; it can aid in emotional growth too. Because sometimes, we all just need to escape. When that’s the case for you, you need to try something such as LitRPG books or even some romance. Anything that feels far enough away from your daily grind to give you some kind of escape as you read.

Increasing Your Knowledge

However, we can’t really ignore the fact that reading does really increase your intellect. Because as you read anything, you learn more. From new words to new ideas, it’s all something that we can absorb. So you should always look to have some kind if reading material with you, no matter what it is. When you do, and you commit to reading something each day, you will increase your knowledge. And as knowledge is power, this will always improve your life.

Teaching Yourself Something New

Finally, you could also use reading as a way of teaching yourself a new skill. Yes, you can learn things and discover new information, you can even teach yourself to speak a new language, but you can also gain practical skills when you read too. From woodwork to fishing, there’s a lot of skills that you could choose to teach yourself when you make more time for reading. So the world really is yours at the flick of a page.

Using Your Commute To Better Yourself

Who can honestly say that they like their commute? Commuting, is, unfortunately a part of life for most people, offering the same dreary drudgery on a daily basis. Time passes slowly, and your end destination is work. Instead of wasting your hours (and energy) lamenting the time spent getting to the office, why not use it as a time to better yourself? Your daily journey into work can actually be more valuable than you think, allowing you to get stuff done while also learning something new.

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Why not use your morning commute to better yourself? Take a look at some of the ways to do this below.

Read

Yes, reading is a popular commuting pastime, but how often do you read as you travel to work? Reading broadens your horizons, and reading books that are relevant to your job or career can help make you work better and harder as well as help to fuel your passion for your career. Take a look at the top business books of 2017 and create yourself a new reading list to feed your brain in the mornings.

Listen to podcasts

Love listening to music or the radio in the mornings? Swap them for a podcast instead! A great podcast is a fantastic way to enjoy comment and debate and give you some food for thought. There are podcasts available on all sorts of topics from managing your life and career to light-hearted and comedic podcasts. While music is great for helping to relax you, a podcast can offer a more educational experience that will make your commute more enjoyable.

Study

Why not use your morning commute to do some informal study? Use your time to learn a language or develop your knowledge on a range of topics. One morning you could be learning more about the history of World War One on Wikipedia, the next you could be learning about Bitcoin gambling with BitcoinGambling101.com. Reading the news and interesting articles will help keep your brain active, giving your mind a good warm up before you get into the office for a day at work.

Take care of life admin

Do you always complain that you don’t have time to carry out basic jobs because of your busy work/social life? Stop whining and start doing. Your morning commute is the perfect time to pay bills, manage your savings, tackle your expenses - whatever needs doing that you don’t normally have time to do. Even if you can’t complete all your tasks during your morning commute, you can at least make a schedule of when you’re going to fit things in to start being more organized and in control.

Commuting may feel like a drag right now, but it doesn’t have to be. Start using that precious time to yourself in a more productive way that will pass the time while also bettering yourself. It’s a simple lifestyle change to make, but one that could offer many benefits. Who knows, you might even start wishing your commute was longer to fit even more in!

4 Intangible Benefits of Grad School

The narrative that graduate school costs more money than it's worth has really taken hold in recent years. Just this month, a new article at Quartz pleaded with millennials not to "waste" money on graduate school, but instead to move on from undergrad and start a career. The article was not a scathing dismissal of graduate school by any means, and in fact took the time to acknowledge some of the benefits of higher education. However, it does ultimately serve as one more in a series of arguments against spending tuition on postgraduate degrees.

The argument tends to be purely financial. There are statistics that suggest that the return-on-investment for the average graduate school degree is not beneficial, at least in the short term, to students. This is perfectly fair to say, but it also presupposes that the key benefit of graduate school is the actual degree it leads to. Many would contest that notion in favor of the idea that the primary benefits of most graduate school programs are more intangible.

Frankly, I'd argue that the worth of a postgraduate education depends on each individual's situation. But in order to broaden the conversation beyond tuition cost and the immediate ROI of earning a degree, here are four of the intangible benefits many students do enjoy.

Postgrad Education Can Spark Passion

The popular job search site Idealist wrote up a list of possible benefits from graduate school education, and while many of them focused on things like qualifying for particular jobs or industries, one benefit that stood out was more intangible. That was that earning a graduate degree can "satisfy your intellectual curiosity and spark passion." This is an incredibly valuable point, even if some would counter that there are cheaper ways to find one's passion. The argument made by Idealist, with the support of comments from one former student, was that grad school gives you the time and space to reflect and wade through information — which isn't always possible in the real world.

You Can Generate A Sense Of Accomplishment

While all schooling is about learning, graduate school also provides (more often than not) the pursuit of genuine accomplishment. This accomplishment comes not just in the form of earning a degree, but through publishing projects, composing theses, working in important internship or research positions, and even caring for patients or impacting legal proceedings, depending on the program. In graduate school you get the chance to apply what you've learned in the real world, without the added pressure of maintaining a job, or just getting by. Often your first job out of college won't offer these opportunities, but gaining a sense of accomplishment in school can help to inspire you moving forward.

You Might Find Your Direction

This falls somewhat in line with the idea of sparking passion, but more specifically it means finding out who you really want to be in a professional context. Menlo Coaching's graduate school application coaching program suggests, through testimonials and basic instruction platforms, that there's a lot that most grad school applicants can learn about themselves even before they get to school. Crafting an application means articulating your qualifications and intentions and exploring introspectively what it is you truly hope to gain from the program. This remains part of the process throughout graduate school and often results in graduates having a keener sense of where they want to go in the professional world than they might have had following undergraduate education.

You'll Make Relationships

Some would summarize this idea with that broad, often meaningless term "networking," and others would classify relationships as tangible benefits. But the real point here isn't necessarily the people whose hands you'll shake in grad school, but the things you'll see those people do. The world of education beyond college is full of serious and ambitious people. Seeing them fail, succeed, socialize, and go about their everyday work can be an amazing experience. All of this can amount to a sort of real world lesson that sticks with you in the professional world.

This is not meant as a total endorsement of graduate school. However, hopefully these points helped to illustrate that the debate shouldn't be entirely about tuition costs and the degree itself. For some students considering grad school, it's what happens in between paying and graduating that really makes the experience worthwhile.

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Monica is a entrepreneur. She does part-time freelance writing on topics related to business and education. Want to connect? Send her an email.

Learning On Your Time with Online Learning Platforms

* A version of this post was originally featured on the OOHLALA Blog and on the Nerd for a Living blog.

I have been fortunate to work in student affairs for the past several years. It has been a fun and transformative experience for me. But lately, I’ve been starting to feel as though I’m in a rut. I’m ready for a change, perhaps into a new career field. I’m interested in getting into marketing, but I don’t feel like I have all the necessary skills and experiences yet to be a competitive candidate.

Wanting a more formal basis for this career shift, and not having the time to return to life as a full-time student, I began to look into different online learning platforms. Here’s what I discovered:

Online Learning Platforms – edX, Coursera, and Udacity

The promise of sites like edX, Coursera, and Udacity is that you can partake in, (often free), courses on all sorts of topics, (usually), on your own schedule. Think of these tools as webinars, but better in pretty much every way—and about stuff that you’re actually interested in. There are presentations, videos, and resources around specific learning outcomes and topics. The instruction is a bit longer than your typical webinar, but the end result is a wonderful handcrafted course that teaches you about a practical skill you can use.

The Sky’s the Limit

The breadth of content on these platforms is impressive. A simple search reveals courses on everything from game design to fantasy literature, superhero culture to programming.While some of these offerings can be fulfilling on a personal level, there are also many options to further yourself professionally. For example, I enjoyed taking some courses from the "Career Success" specialization offered by the University of California at Irvine. There are even connections to universities for many of the courses. This means they may also give you credit towards a degree.

All these online learning platforms offer a simple and accessible way to learn whatever you want on your time at whatever pace, (and cost), you wish. You don’t have feel anxious about investing in courses, fees, or books that might not pay off.

The lack of huge investment in these platforms is an incredible disruption to the education paradigm. It benefits any of us working towards work that fulfills us.

The Alternative Education Experience

As someone who works at an institution of higher learning, I am, perhaps counter-intuitively, supportive of these platforms. They help bring learning to more people in the world, which is what I hope to help foster in my own way. It’s why I got into education in the first place. These services embody the values I wish more higher education institutions would work towards. They limit financial risk, focus on the content, and create courses on what users want. A typical course takes only several hours to complete, so you could be on your way to a certificate or college credit within a month’s time.

While the experience of going to a college campus is uniquely beneficial, not everyone can invest in that experience. Also, the need for specific college degrees as credentials for entering a particular field is diminishing. In some fields, job seekers now just need to be able to prove they can do the work. Sitting in a classroom, learning about how to do these things, isn’t necessarily preferred. Online learning platforms can get you engaged in the topics you want to learn about, and won’t waste your time with anything else.

Low-Risk and Available Anytime

What my exploration of these platforms has encouraged is that it’s never too late to start working toward a career you love. While these online learning platforms will not be the end of that journey of growth and change, they can be a strong start. The best part is that you have nothing to lose by checking these sites out and diving into a course. They’re low-risk and are available anytime you are ready to engage.

I look forward to getting involved with some of these platforms myself. I hope the experience is positive for those who choose to get involved as well.

Five Things I Learned From My Mom

In honor of Mother's Day, I thought I would write about my own mother, who I owe so much of who I am today and my success to. I don't write about her often (or at all really) but that just was probably because I didn't know how. Now, with this special day as an appropriate context, let me tell you a little bit about her.

Humility

I am humble, almost to a fault sometimes. But I would rather be someone who lets his work speak for him than someone who is just the loudest person in the room without much basis for their outspoken confidence. I've grown a lot with balancing confidence with humility, but I know I got my humility from my mom, who is easily flattered like me, and doesn't do anything for the attention or acclaim. She works hard and does right by her kids and family. Which leads me to my next point...

Hard Work

My mom worked hard to support me and my brother for a while after it became just the three of us. She has worked hard all of her life, getting by and allowing for her children to have food, a safe place to call home, and thrive as adults. I think a lot of success comes down to grit and perseverance. A lot of people will give up when the going gets tough or just take the easy path, so a lot of success (I will concede that there is certainly a lot more to it if you want to dig really deep) boils down to just who is left working hard each day. You have to keep going and keep the goals you have in mind to inspire you. I know I have a pretty awesome example of a hard working parent to live up to whenever I have children of my own.

Empathy

Something else I know I got from my mom is her caring spirit. She's a hugger, and a generally loving, empathetic person. I am the same way (except for the hugging, I tend to wait for someone to give me a cue they want a hug first) and I know I learned it from my mom. She loves me and my brother a lot and tells us often, so I am comfortable with expressing my feelings for others and genuinely care for people. Whether that is trying to do right by my students or wishing the best for friends, past and present, I just want people I care about to be happy. I always appreciate how open and welcoming my mom is.

Confidence

Due a lot to my mom's support, I eventually built up my confidence after growing up being a shy kid for most of my life. She has always had my back as I start my life and go in whatever direction I think is best, so I know even if things don't work out, she is there to help me. Even as adult life continues to provide me with unique new challenges, my mom helps support me through all of it, which gives me exponentially growing confidence to face the next new hurdle. I appreciate her love and support always, and I know it will continue as I keep facing new adventures in my life.

Patience

Raising two boys definitely teaches patience (I would assume). My mom was pretty patient with us, humoring us whenever we needed it and also not giving into all of our demands. We learned that sometimes good things come to those who wait. We learned that you can't get everything you want right away. We never had a lot growing up, but we had enough, and that was fine. I have always been a patient person, and I'm sure learning to wait from my mom as I grew up had a lot to do with that. It's important to not always be anticipating the next thing. We should be still, and appreciate what we have, and be willing to wait for whatever is next to come when it is supposed to.

Let your mother know that you appreciate her and how she has impacted your life!

Thanks for stopping by, and Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

Finding Yourself & Geek Identity Theory

During my first semester of graduate school, I took a course on theory development within college students.  I learned about theories grounded in career development, religious development, and personal identity development.  Within personal identity development I noticed a commonality between all the theories.  I was taught to use theory as a base knowledge to understand a student better, being able to assess where each person was on the developmental level.  As a self-named geek, I was determined to find other applicable identities for students to develop.  Here is the "Wagner Geek Identity Development Model" (WGIDM) as seen through my own development.

Stage 1: Non-geek

During this stage, students do not consider themselves to be geeky.  This was reflected during my first year of college.  My interests were of movies and not much else.  I did not have an overt affection towards video games, superheroes, or anything deemed “geeky” by society.

Stage 2: Open to Geek Culture

During this stage, students are opened up to the geek culture.  In my second year of college, a fellow resident assistant took me to a comic book store and opened my mind to my favorite superhero, Green Lantern.  This moment sparked an internal revolution into geekdom, leading into stage 3.

Stage 3: NooB

This stage is when geeks begin to make meaning of their identity.  This can be seen through a new variety of one’s Netflix qeue, frequent trips to comic book stores or GameStop, and enhanced research on the geek culture.  It is during this stage that individuals seek out groups of fellow geeks to validate their feelings and share in experiences.

Stage 4: Leroy Jenkins

During stage 4, individuals dive into the culture in an attempt to figure out what type of geek that person wants to be.  For me, that resulted in watching YouTube videos about video games, downloading podcasts about Star Trek, and buying midnight premiere movie tickets.

Stage 5: Geek Chic

This stage revolves around individuals refining the type of geek they want to be.  Folks have searched every outlet in an attempt to whittle down what geek really means to them.  I finally decided that I did not know enough of World of Warcraft to try and become a level 70 goblin, however I knew I enjoyed superheroes and video games, so I stuck to where my true passions were.

Stage 6: Live Long and Prosper

This final stage can only be accomplished when a person fully admits to their geekdom.  This stage occurs when one has accepted that they are a geek and has begun to integrate their geeky tendencies into their personal life.  I was finally able to walk into the comic book store without feeling like an outsider, using superhero inspirations for door decorations for my residents.

Obviously with this theory comes one major critique: what does it mean to be a geek?  This notion is relative for each individual person.  To someone, a geek can only refer to science fiction novels, however to others being a geek can mean they are excited about woodworking.  The term geek is open to interpretation.  My own definition is that a geek is a person that understands a topic incredibly well and has become a true passion.  No matter what the definition, this theory can serve as an opportunity for folks to assist their students in the development of their identities.

Remember, with great power comes great responsibility, so use it wisely.

Hey y'all!  My name is Julie Wagner and I am a current graduate student in my second year of the College Student Personnel program at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.  Currently I am working in Campus Activities and get to work with fantastic students and their organizations.  I began my obsessions with higher education and geek culture in the fall of 2012 and have not stopped since.  My bookshelves are equal parts graphic novels and development theory books. Connect with me on Twitter!

Higher Ed Geek 2.0

Higher Ed Geek started in April of 2013 as an effort to allow for me to nourish a creative outlet in my life. I wrote a few blog posts when I could, but I wasn't consistent and often forgot about it. I committed in January of 2014 to put more effort into the blog. I invested in the site and I found that the more I put in, the more I got out. I was able to reach a wider audience, make more connections with people about the stuff I cared about, and was able to spread a message that had a positive impact on others.

I'm excited to commit to put even more energy into the site now.

I have some big ideas of where Higher Ed Geek can go but I need help to get there. Any donations people can give helps get the site towards the next stage in it's life. I'm hoping to at least refresh the design of the site, commission a new logo, maximize the back end of the site, and get more people writing on a regular basis. (If donating isn't your thing, check out my book of collected blog posts. Proceeds from that helps fund the site as well.)

Depending on how far this crowdfunding campaign goes, I could do even more (trust me, I have plenty of ideas!).

I appreciate anyone and everyone's support. Either donating, sharing, or giving feedback is all helpful in reaching the goals I'm setting for this effort and the site as a whole. I'll be keeping up the page until the end of the month of October so make sure to help get the word out and show your support!

Stay geeky, weird, and proud, everyone!

Summer Movie Musings: Inside Out

I had the pleasure of finally seeing Inside Out in theaters this past week. It's been one I knew I wanted to see for a while now, even before it's release and positive buzz. The concept really intrigued me from the first teaser I saw and I was definitely not disappointed by the final product. It is a unique, fun, cute, and insightful film about emotions and growing up, which is something that is universally poignant.

The premise of movie follows a young girl, Riley, as she moves to San Francisco from her beloved Midwest home with her parents, and the struggles that come with that transition. We see the emotions play out inside her head throughout the story, which is obviously where a lot of the fun and heart comes from. The movie does a really good job setting up how the concept works with the different major emotions; anger, fear, joy, disgust, and sadness (as seen above from left to right). We see how memories are made, stored, and forgotten within the film's setup, which is very entertaining yet also very in depth and spot on. I'm not an expert on emotions and what not, but from what I understand (and have heard elsewhere) Inside Out takes the premise seriously and gets a lot of the science right.

While the movie is not as laugh out loud funny or heart-wrenching (at least for me) as some of the other Pixar movies, I appreciate it for its originality and insight. We could use a bit more empathy in our lives and this movie has a great message about that as well as how to process our own feelings and how to help others process theirs. A great moment in the movie showcases how sometimes we just need to feel our sadness and not just pretend it doesn't exist.

I definitely recommend seeing Inside Out if you get the chance before it is out of theaters. If not, it would absolutely be worth a rental. I'd also love to hear your thoughts if you saw it!

Thanks for stopping by!