College and University Blog
Resources, help, and insight for your college experience
Transitioning From College to Work: 10 Major Differences Between the Two
For a lot of people, transitioning from college to work can be quite a shocker. During my own college years, I honestly thought I had it rough—going to class a few hours a day, studying for exams, writing papers, and working a part-time job on the weekends. After graduation, reality sunk in and I finally figured out just how good I’d really had it.
Today’s Colleges: Full of Self-Centered People?
Some students would deny it, but several recent studies claim that today’s colleges are full of more self-centered people than ever before. It almost seems like many of today’s young people are willing to say or do anything without regarding how it will affect others.
The fact that bullying has moved beyond the “playground years” has parents, school administrators, and even politicians scrambling to speak out about the importance of sensitivity and empathy, but many college students just don’t care.
Graduate School Applications from International Students on the Rise
Graduate schools in the United States have reported a noticeable increase in applications from international students for the second year in a row.
The 9% increase in international graduate student applications from 2010 to 2011 suggests that foreign students’ interest in performing graduate level studies in the U.S. is finally rebounding after application declines in the early 2000s.
Get More Financial Aid for College
Paying for college has long been a source of financial stress for students and their families. Substantial financial aid for college is available if you know the proper paths to follow, but the fact that more students are applying to colleges than ever before also means that more students are applying for financial aid as well.
10 College Earth Day Activities 2011: Students Saving the Earth
Held annually each April 22, Earth Day was created to raise awareness and spread gratitude for our planet and all it has to offer. Considered the “most popular secular holiday in the world,” communities around the globe have held Earth Day celebrations and events since its inception in 1970.
This year, college students at schools both large and small have planned and prepared Earth Day events for fellow students, faculty and staff, as well as for the surrounding community. Some campus functions are elaborate while others are simple, but the goal of these college Earth Day 2011 events is the same: teaching others the importance of respecting and caring for the earth.
Final Exams Study and Survival Guide
Although final exams are no longer as common as they were in years past, millions of college students across the country will be taking finals at some point over the next few weeks. In many cases, final exams can make or break a student’s overall course grade. They can even be the deciding factor as to whether or not some seniors will be able to graduate on time.
For those reasons alone, it’s understandable how such important tests can cause students considerable stress and anxiety.
Student Loan Information: Understand Before You Borrow
For-profit colleges that provide students with false claims and incomplete information about student loans have been making headlines and causing lobbyists to beg for higher education reform.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, a two-year Virginia school is in the news for its latest policy.
How to Get Off a College Waitlist: Is it Really Possible?
It’s easy to equate being placed on a college waitlist with being rejected. After all, the door wasn’t completely slammed in your face, but your chances of becoming a “chosen one” are fairly slim.
Some students just shrug their shoulders and move on to greener pastures, while others cling to their waitlist status as if it were a life raft.
Making College Commitments: Schools Enticing Students and Parents Up Until the Last Minute
It’s that time of year again … time for students to make some big decisions. College applicants should receive letters of acceptance or rejection from the schools to which they applied by April 1.
Nearly all colleges and universities require potential students to make a decision and a commitment by May 1; paying a deposit to hold their place in the freshman class should they decide to attend the school that fall.
Pell Grant Peril: Budget Cuts Could Lead to Financial Aid Problems
A possible government shutdown is looming as Congress continues to debate over the long-term budget plan for the 2011 federal budget.
Congress’s failure to pass the budget, which has been delayed several times since last October, has kept the Federal Pell Grant Program in limbo.
White House, Department of Education Targeting Sexual Assaults on Campus
The White House and the Department of Education have joined forces to address the topic of sexual harassment and assault on college campuses.
Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan kicked off a nationwide awareness initiative on schools’ responsibilities and victims’ rights at the University of New Hampshire in Durham on April 4, 2011.
Summer Melt: Aim for Extra Cash for College
“Summer melt” is a little-known phenomenon that happens every year. Unlike the name suggests, it has absolutely nothing to do with ice cream left outdoors in July.
It’s the term used to describe what happens when students who submitted enrollment deposits to hold their place decide over the summer not to attend the college after all.
Elite Colleges: Prestigious School, Bigger Paycheck? Maybe Not.
Even in this day and age, a lot of parents truly believe that students who attend Ivy League colleges (or prestigious equivalents) will somehow lead a better life than students who are forced to settle for an “inferior” school. They decide that the exorbitant tuition and fees are worthwhile, that the cost will make up for itself with a lifetime of success.
Professors and Twitter: Personal Tweets Make Profs Seem More Credible to Students
Despite the fact that educators are typically expected to keep their private lives private, a recent study found that professors whose Twitter feeds included personal tweets that had nothing to do with academia were regarded as more trustworthy, competent, and caring by students.