College and University Blog
Resources, help, and insight for your college experience
Like Day and Night: The Difference between Day Classes and Night Classes
Technically, there is absolutely no difference structurally and content-wise between day (morning) classes and night classes, but if you
Running Solo: How to Entertain Yourself When All of Your Friends Go Away during Break
Have you ever known what it was like to be the lone wolf at the dorm during break when all of your friends take off for home or other places? You seem to be left behind in a world all of your own. That is both a discouraging and encouraging situation
Ethics in the College Setting
When it comes to career ethics, it is a very sticky business, especially in a world where individual preferences, constantly conflicting personal values, and
Road Trips: Unforgettable Educational Experiences
Road Trips, even those taken during spring break (Fort Lauderdale, anyone?), are, believe it or not, just as much part of the educational process of one
Watch Your Step: Smart Personal Safety Tips for College Students
Going away to college means plunging head-first into the sometimes-tumultuous waters of adulthood and adult responsibility. Your first year of college will probably bring with it a whole array of other momentous
How to Face a Displeasing Roommate
One of the worst nightmares for any college student is situated right there in the dorm room: the roommate. Who one lives with has a lot to do with one
Selecting Wise Electives: Avoid Mistakes Most Make
Enrolling in general requirement courses are easy, when they
Fighting the First-Year Blues: What’s Behind the Epidemic of Depression on College Campuses…and What You Can Do About It
Going off to college for the first time is often a monumental change of pace
Hooking Up: How to Make the Switch to College Dating
In terms of the timeline, there
The Importance of Having One’s Own Computer in the Modern-Day College Setting
Before the 1990s, computers used in college settings were restricted to the administrative purposes and the occasional small computer lab located on campuses. Nowadays, computers of many kinds are everywhere. As a matter of fact, the modern-day college environment would be noticeably incomplete without them.
Why computers? These days, students and professors alike conduct their class work and lessons respectively through the use of software and the Internet. Both have actually become incorporated components in information processing and calculating for the learning and professional environments. In the computer age, then, computers are a necessity everywhere.
This includes personal computer. Although computer labs are the norm, some being vastly composed of a hundred units or more, the inclusion of the computer in every student
Teacher/Student Relationships: the Fine Line
Within the past few years, there have been many cases of teacher/student relations in the high schools. This, of course, is illegal, and for a plethora of good reasons, not the least of which is an abuse of authority. It is one thing to have a staff member and a student become romantically involved, but it is quite another when one is an adult and the other an adolescent.
But what about in college, f an instructor becomes romantically involved with a student? Both are legally adults. Is this instance still considered an abuse of authority, despite the fear of favoritism eventually coming into play? Although the age gap between the teacher and student still might cause an imbalance in the relationship, both are capable of making their own decisions and giving consent.
Then again, what if there is no age gap, such as in the case with a young professor and an older untraditional student? Would this still be considered an imbalance? Would this still be considered exploitative…
Shopping for Class Supplies: an Adventure in Itself
Registering at a university and enrolling in classes is a time-consuming feat against which no college student will argue, but the adventure doesn
College Clubs: Means of Finding a Clique and Building the Résumé
Clubs are the ganglion of the college social and professional networking circuit; they are based on both personal interest as well as career pursuits. In light of this, clubs are essential for establishing social cliques and building an impressive r
Financial Aid: Student Loan Changes that Benefit the Students
Both undergraduate and graduate students from low-income households have a new strike in their favor. Government Stafford loans are being hiked to provide students with a greater chance of a college education. Freshmen loans have increased from $3,500.00 to $4,500.00 for an academic year, and sophomores $5,500.00 for the same period of time. Graduate students and independents also have a significant financial edge to look forward to receiving in the near future. This means that all undergraduate students have an additional $1,000.00 to work for them. In a time of rising expenses, this definitely means something.
Of course, when one considers the importance of producing future professionals in what has been referred to as the new recession, this makes sense. When expenses rise, loans and other benefits must rise also to compensate. If they don
College Dorm Curfews: Useless and Contradictory Restrictions
College is an institution meant for adult learning and integration into the adult world for those young adults who haven
What’s Your Major?: 5 Questions to Help You Make the Right Choice
If you still don
Write it Down Right: Tips for Effective College Note-Taking
College students are famous for doing everything during class except paying close attention. Take a look around during the next meeting of your 8:00 a.m. section of the Economic History of Underwater Basket-Weaving
The Most Effective Research Methods
Research has many avenues, and for the truly creative and innovative researchers, there are the more unique. The reality is, however, that some methods of research are more reliable and effective than others. Choosing the right ones for the right projects can mean the difference between fact and fallacy, success and failure.
As a matter of fact, some forms of research are preferable to certain fields over other; the type of research one conducts is quite often indigenous to the particular field or discipline. This is especially true in the college setting.
Documentation, of course, is universal, which means this is mandatory for every field and every project. This is the foundation of all research, as it determines that which will go in the final work. Already existing data tells the researcher what has been established and what hasn
Making the Most of Your Internship: Tips for College Students
You spent hours filling out applications, lining up references, opining and holding forth in essays, and polishing your r
Effective Study Practices
Social development and independence not withstanding, study is the prime reason that one attends college. In this way, a person expands her/his knowledge and understanding of the world, gains insight on multiple schools of thought, and instills within her-/himself a particular set of skills that would prepare her/him for a career later on in life. Studying, therefore, is not only inevitable, but essential.
The thing is, though, that effective studying is a necessary skill in itself that every student must learn and practice on a regular basis in order to succeed academically. The glitch, however, is that not all study habits provide results; some habits are preferable over others. Of course, each student is different, so what works for one student might not necessarily work for another. Still, generally speaking, some common practices have proven themselves very effective over time, and so these are promoted through academic circles for achieving the best results.
One of …
Ineffective Study Habits
As essential as studying as a part of students
Preventing Property Crime: How to Keep Your Stuff Safe on Campus
As a group, college students aren
Parties: The Important College Tradition
As any college student or previous college student knows, the college experience wouldn
Plagiarism: The Ethics of Hiring Professional Writers to Do Student Research and Writing Assignments
As wild as it sounds, this type of thing happens with college students all the time, and not only on undergraduate level. Many graduates have been known to seek professional writers to do their research and assignments, especially for key work like theses and dissertations.
The reason students do this range from poor writing and research skills to laziness to being students who are non-fluent in the language in which the work is to be completed. All of this is akin to buying papers on or off campus and handing them in as one
The Internet: An Unreliable and Expensive Resource for College Research
Yes, the Internet has become the most innovative, convenient and world
Plagiarism: One-Way Trip to Ruin
Plagiarism has always been an issue as far as professional writings. Unfortunately, this trend doesn
Teach for America: Grad Students Help Where They Can
College seniors have discovered they can do a lot more use skipping the backpacking trip through Europe after their senior year of school and instead spend some time helping students in poor communities.
Helping America’s Poor
At a faster rate than ever, graduate students have taken on the desire to help in some of the United State’s poorest communities. Setting aside college internships and handling student loans, they are signing up for two years worth of educating in a program called Teach for America. This program has a design to help give some of the top college graduates get the experience they need for teaching jobs. In addition, the nonprofit organization does it with educating the poor. It is a win-win situation for everyone.
As the 2007 to 2008 school year draws to a close, Teach for America has seen the number of applications it has gotten rise dramatically from 18,000 in the past years to 25,000 this year. More so, of that number, probably 370…
Rookie Mistakes: The Top Five Blunders to Avoid in Your Freshman Year
Ah, the college years. In American culture, these four years serve as a buffer between adolescence and adulthood, an in-between period during which you begin to make your own decisions and take charge of your own destiny. Just like learning to ride a bike, there comes a time when you have to take off the proverbial training wheels – and take a few inevitable spills – before you finally get the hang of it.
Mistakes, pitfalls, slip-ups, gaffes, blunders. Whatever you want to call them, you
Calvin College, Michigan: Okay For Safety Personnel To Carry Guns
According to the latest information available through the Grand Rapids Press, Calvin College is now allowing its safety personnel to carry weapons on campus. This will start in the fall semester for 2008.
The only people on campus allowed to carry the guns will be those working in the safety arena, with a police type background. They will be able to carry only handguns as well.
The move was done just this weekend by the college trustees. College safety is, of course, the center of the concern.
In April, the Faculty Senate approved a recommendation to allow safety department personnel to carry these weapons. Only trained individuals are permissible to carry guns, through their recommendation. Students, on the other hand, are not sure this is the right way to go.
At the faculty meeting, some 60 students protested the movement. They shouted, “Community, not weaponry” to those m…
College Costs and Campaign Elections: Hand in Hand?
As you plan for your next year of college, you may be wondering how you will pay for it. The facts are rough.
The average total cost of a private school is $32,000
A public in state school will cost $13,000
These numbers are up by 22 percent in the last five consecutive years, and there is likely no change in sight. Or, could there be?
Each of the main candidates running for President of the United States have said they want to help curb the costs of a college education. As voting members of the country, college students should explore the candidates and their stance on college costs, whenever possible to do so.
Parents of college students are worried, too. While they saved and saved over the years to pay for school, their college savings plans haven’t done enough to help encourage them. That’s because many of the best laid plans still haven’t been profitable enough for many students. They simply need to turn to school loans more often than ev…
Eating on the Cheap: Budget-Friendly Meals for College Students
Your bank account balance is hovering in the low single digits, your meal card is cashed out for the week, and a thorough search behind your second-hand couch
College Students Make Money Through Online Business: Can You?
Imagine spending your days studying in class then going back to your dorm to work. Rather than the overwhelmingly boring world of fast food part time work, why not consider starting your own online business. Online businesses from home, rather from your door room, are a great way to make money doing things you love to do. Chances are good you know of a few opportunities, as it is to make money online. Perhaps this is something new to you. Do not worry; you do not need to have a tech side to you to make a fantastic amount of money, but you do have to be creative enough to come up with something new and unique.
What Works For You?
The question is this. How can you make money through an online business from college? You do not have a lot of money to invest. You do not have a lot of time to spend making the process work. Where are your options? Here are some ideas to consider.
Start a Website for Students Just setting up a website and adding some…
Could You Build A House Between Classes?
As a student, your life centers around working on your latest paper and socializing, after all, what else is there to do? You may not have considered building a house, from the ground up, with your own two hands. However, for a group of students from North Platte, Nebraska, that is exactly how they spent their time.
The Home That Students Built
The Mid Plains Community College is selling the home that students built. There is an open house scheduled for this week, in fact. The asking price is $90,000, a considerable amount of money for homes in this region. Bids are being taken for the home. The home is a three-bedroom home with two baths. Students have built every part of the home. This even includes the electrical elements, the plumbing and all other elements.
Here is the kicker. The home was built to be sold and then moved to a buyer’s lot. However, the home is not really something that is unique. In fact, this process has been going on for 40 year…
Students Rating Professors: An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Ever since the dawn of the modern university system, college professors have been granted the right to rate their students
Traveling on the Cheap: Budget Vacation Tips for College Students
With the weather warming up and summer just around the corner, the millions of college students who are busy cramming for finals may be finding it hard to keep their minds from drifting into daydream mode. Whether your idea of the perfect vacation is a stay on the beach, a backpacking trek through a rugged mountain range, or a wild week in a popular party town, there
Eating Disorders on Campus: Experts Advise Freshman to Keep an Eye Out for Warning Signs
You might think that the biggest food problem you
Sallie Mae Mistakenly Hurts Credit Scores: Does Your Credit Score Matter?
Announced today, Sallie Mae, one of the larger student loan lenders, has make a tiny computer error which has caused mayhem among borrowers. The problem is that through a simple computer management mistake, Sallie Mae destroyed the credit scores of plenty of their borrowers.
Sallie Mae reports that the credit problem was fixed on Tuesday evening, but some damage could have been done.
Sallie Mae is the largest lender of student loans. What should have been a routine update of credit records turned into a huge mistake when a report erroneously placed delinquency noticed on the credit reports of thousands of its borrowers.
The loans were reported as being partially paid, rather than reporting these graduate and extended repayment plans on time. Equifax, the credit agency that received the problematic reporting, made the delinquency notices on the borrower’s credit reports, as it normally would.
Sallie Mae’s mistake cost many of the borrowers FICO scores to drop si…