Why should MSDN AA software be made available to ALL eligible students (even if their class does not use the software)?
Technology skills are important for the student's career development, are increasingly a key ingredient of their life and learning. Employers demand the latest technical skills, irrespective of the student's major in college. thus technology skills can be a huge differentiator but are also a requirement in today's technology-driven world.
Educational institutions can add value to their offerings by making MSDN AA software available to all eligible students. the professional software included in MSDN AA program gives students a view of the real-world tools and practices. MSDN AA software not only enhances the student learning during their school years but it also prepares them for the professional careers by providing them familiarity with the tools and practices used in the commercial world.
Besides the software in MSDN AA, Microsoft is providing other learning resources to help students learn the technical skills with elearning programs, demonstrate their learnings with the Imagine Cup student competition and connecting them to potential employers with the Students2Business program.
- Access to FREE e-Learning courses for extending your IT or developer skills at https://www.microsoft.com/education/MSITAcademy/itastudentpass.mspx
- Support for any questions that arise during your learning at https://support.microsoft.com/ and/or Microsoft Technical Communities - https://www.microsoft.com/communities
- A World-wide competition to test your learning at https://imaginecup.com/ and enhance your resume with additional team-skills
- FREE 6-month complimentary access to the E-Reference Libraries from Microsoft Press, at https://imaginecup.com/Competition/LearningResourcesOverview.aspx
- Entrepreneurship resources from https://microsoft4me.com/imaginecup/innovation/index.htm and assistance in starting your own company at https://www.microsoftstartupzone.com/ and www.microsoftstartupzone.com/bizspark
- Connection to Jobs, internships, and additional career resources that use the skills learned to find a job today! The comprehensive S2B portal provides you with access to jobs, internships, and additional career resources at https://www.microsoft.com/studentstobusiness/
So, even when a software is not used in-class, students can avail the software from MSDN AA and the the learning resources provided by Microsoft and other partners to better position themselves in a competitive job-market. The school/department should make ALL of the MSDN AA software and tools available to ALL eligible students so the students can enhance their learning and be better citizen in a technology-laden world.
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