College and University Blog
Resources, help, and insight for your college experience
Transfer Student FAQs: Things to Find Out When Transferring Colleges
The reasons that cause students to transfer from one school to another are just as varied as you’d imagine. Some are simply unhappy with their current college, while others have completed a two-year associate’s degree and need to move on to a four-year university to earn their bachelor’s degree. Regardless of the reasons that warrant a student’s decision, transferring from one college to another can be a lengthy procedure.
Student Loan Debt: Don't Play the Blame Game
Somewhere along the line, people began to assume that a college degree was synonymous with the Golden Ticket. “Earn a degree, and make more money! Go to college, and get a better job! College is the answer!” seemed to be the attitude to have.
While it’s true that statistics have shown college graduates tend to earn higher salaries than high school graduates, other factors need to be considered. I know plenty of people who have college degrees that don’t even have jobs at the moment, let alone spectacular high-paying jobs that are making them rich.
Online College: Is it Right for You?
It’s just about impossible to deny that online colleges are growing in popularity. It’s also true that online education programs aren’t for everyone, but they’ve definitely provided people who couldn’t otherwise attend college for various reasons the opportunity to earn degrees. If you’re thinking about going to college but have a lot of questions, don’t worry— it’s absolutely normal to have concerns before starting something new.
Tips for Non-Traditional College Students with Kids
If you’re trying to get your required reading done but you’ve got to wake up at 5 AM to make it to work on time and your kids are watching TV with the volume turned up so loud you’re contemplating earplugs, you’re not alone. The National Center for Educational Statistics has found that the majority of today’s college students don’t fit the mold of traditional sorority girl or fraternity guy. USA Today reported that just about half are financially independent; 49% are enrolled part-time; 38% work full time; 27% have dependents of their own.
Campus Tour: Eight Places You Must Locate at Your College
It’s a wise idea to participate in a campus tour when you visit potential colleges, but be sure to explore your school again after you’re officially enrolled and ready to start classes! Freshmen orientation activities will probably explain the function of different offices or departments, but additional campus tours may or may not be given. If your only campus tour took place when you were still in high school and considering which school you’d even attend, you probably don’t remember the location of various offices – especially if you’re attending a large university or you visited multiple schools.
Resumes for College Students: What You Need To Know
If your college work experience was anything like mine, then your part-time jobs probably involved uniforms, cash registers, or both. Those jobs got me the money I needed during school so I’m definitely not poking fun, but jobs of that nature typically don’t require resumes. Whether you’re looking for an unpaid summer internship or prepping for your full-fledged post-graduation job search, you can only put off the inevitable for so long: at some point, you’re going to need a resume.
Senioritis: Consequences Can Be Worse than You Think
After three long years of doing homework, completing projects, and taking tests, high school seniors are ecstatic to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Most seniors have already taken their entrance exams and their submitted college applications, so once the big news arrives many decide to take it easy for awhile. They know where they’ll be going to college the following fall, so taking extremely easy courses and skipping school sounds a lot better than stressing out til the end, right? The habit, jokingly referred to as senioritis, isn’t a debilitating disease like the name implies, but it can cause problems when you least expect them!
21 for 21 Birthday Drinking Game: More Common Than Parents Realize
Birthday parties sound innocent enough, but a drinking game played by college students as they reach the legal drinking age is having deadly consequences, and the ritual of playing “21 for 21” is one of the reasons. Young people will attempt to take 21 shots of liquor or drink 21 mixed drinks in a short period of time to celebrate their 21st birthday. This “game” has become increasingly common and the consequences are worse than people may imagine.
Minors: A Major Benefit to Your College Degree
Although the college years are supposed to be a fun time of self-discovery and personal growth, the reality is that most people attend college in hopes of earning a higher income than people without degrees. Considering the current state of the economy and today’s tough job market, declaring a minor may be a wise idea for college students. A minor can give you an advantage as you seek employment after graduation because it will expose you to a range of courses in addition to those required by your major.
Joining Fraternities and Sororities: A Basic Snapshot
Fraternities and sororities are social organizations found at colleges and universities. They’re often called Greek letter organizations because their names consist of two or three letters of the Greek alphabet: for example, Phi Kappa Theta. Fraternities are often portrayed in movies and television shows as sexist groups of young men who do little more than throw keg parties on the weekends while sororities are usually made out to be bands of young women who do nothing but shop and worry about their weight. Some of these stereotypes may have a grain of truth to them, but how much do you really know about Greek life?
College Double Majors: Some Pros and Cons
If you’re unable to make up your mind between two potential college majors, a double major may be just what you need. College students that declare a double major concentrate on two separate majors during their undergraduate years, meaning that they will earn a bachelor’s degree with two majors at graduation. A double major sounds impressive, but just like anything else in life, it has its pros and cons. How can you be sure if a double major is right for you?
College Graduation Rates: Nearly Half of College Freshmen Do Not Graduate
The majority of new college students are optimistic as they begin their freshman year, but college graduation rates aren’t as impressive as schools would like to admit. It’s most likely true that no one starts college with intentions of dropping out, but all too often circumstances arise that cause students to abandon their studies.
Cramming and All-Nighters Can Lead to Caffeine Addiction
It happens to the best of us: three mid-term exams and two term papers all due in the same week leads to cramming, and pulling all-nighters most likely involves plenty of coffee and Red Bull. All-night study sessions are pretty common during college, and caffeine is one of the easiest ways for students to stay awake. The stereotype is that college students drink a lot of alcohol, but I’m willing to bet that they consume just as much caffeine.
Plagiarism in College: Why it Happens and Why it's Wrong
According to Dictionary.com, plagiarism is “the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s own original work” or “something used and represented in this manner.” Plagiarism can occur in many forms, including copying and pasting information from a website directly into your own term paper or submitting an assignment that a friend wrote for you. In short, plagiarism is cheating. It’s unethical, and it can get you kicked out of school … yet it occurs regularly on college campuses.
Personal Branding: Tips for Creating a Personal Brand During College
A lot of college students let their choice of major define them as a person. It happens for a few different reasons, but mainly because it’s the easiest way to quickly explain to others what they’re studying at college. If you’re home visiting family during Christmas break, your parents’ friends might ask you what you’re studying. When you meet someone new and find out that they also attend your college, more than likely you’ll ask each other, “So, what’s your major?”
Transitioning from High School to College: Five Major Differences
The transition from high school to college can be overwhelming and frustrating— especially if you incorrectly assume that it will be just like high school, only bigger. There are quite a few differences between the two, and I’m not talking about the ability to join sororities or the number of keg parties on the weekends.
Applying to College: Admissions Counseling Can Make the Process Smoother
As children, we’re often asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Like most kids, you probably had dozens of potential career plans for yourself, but those plans probably changed a few times as you got older. Throughout their high school careers, students do a lot of thinking about college: what to study and where to school, for starters. Excitement kicks in when the time arrives to start making those decisions for real, but some people also wind up feeling a little bit overwhelmed. What should you do first? How do you even apply to colleges? Here’s a bit of general information that might come in handy as you begin your quest!
College Admissions Exams: SAT and ACT Info
Pep rallies, football games, school plays, yearbook meetings … your high school years can be pretty busy! On top of all the classes, homework and extracurricular activities, the majority of high school juniors and seniors are also prepping for college. In addition to thinking about possible majors and figuring out which schools seem to have potential, you need to get ready to apply to college. If you fall into that category, you’re going to have to take the SAT, the ACT, or both.
Graduate School: Some Basic Information
I don’t go around broadcasting the story to everyone I know, but after earning my bachelor’s degree in education and realizing that – unfortunately – teaching was not my dream career after all, I decided to give graduate school a try. One of my part-time jobs during my undergraduate studies was keeping the books at a small IT company and calculating the payroll checks, so I knew that I enjoyed accounting. I signed up for the GMAT and filled out an application for the business school at my university, and I was accepted.
Eating Disorders on Campus: The Dangers of Anorexia and Bulimia
Although eating a few extra desserts at the buffet-style dining hall each night and gaining the dreaded “Freshman Fifteen” is a concern for many college students, there’s another weight-related issue plaguing young people on college campuses across the country: eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binging affect more young people than you may realize.
Attending Graduation as a Top Priority
After a long year, and an even longer degree, it may be tempting to skip your graduation ceremony and head straight into the sunsational summer. Read on before you decide to toss your graduation cap into the trash instead of into the air!
Go Green-starting with your college choice
You choose your groceries, coffee, paper products, and clothes based on your environmental and social consciousness …why not your college?
Donating to Your Alma Mater: Money and Time are Both Appreciated
If you waltzed across the stage in your cap and gown earlier this week, be warned: the phone calls and letters will start soon. They want your money and they don’t care if you’re broke.
Resident Assistants: Who They Are and What They Do
Transitioning from high school to college can be a big deal. It’s one thing to expect tougher classes , but there are quite a few people you’ll have to deal with in college— people that you probably never heard of back while you were in high school, especially if you move out of your parents’ home to live on campus. Although living in the dorms is fun for many students, it can wind up being harder than you’d imagined. If you ever need assistance or advice while you’re living on campus, you can speak with your resident assistant.
Gap Year: Need A Break Between High School and College?
High school graduation is approaching, which means that thousands of young men and women are already making plans for their summer activities and the upcoming school year—their first year of college! Other new graduates are taking an alternate route, and they’ve decided to put their educations on hold and take a break between high school and college.
Sell Your Textbooks the Smart Way
Are you starting to look at your textbooks piled high on your bookshelf and wonder how you can recover some of your cash? Use some of your smarts to get the maximum return on your texts!
Research University Advantages: Top Professors, More Majors and Graduate Degrees
A lot of colleges use the National Candidate’s Reply Date, which gives students until May 1st to make final decisions on attendance and send in deposits to hold their place for the fall. That means you’ve most likely decided where you’re going to college, but not all schools do not follow the May 1 deadline.
If you’re still weighing your options, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it’s important to find the college that’s right for you and your needs, not the college that your parents or your friends think is a good choice. Nothing in life is perfect, so all schools have their pros and cons, but if you’re planning to enter certain fields that require advanced degrees (such as medicine or law) it might be in your best interests to attend a school that is considered a research university.
Summer Internships for College Students: Find a Cool One and Have Fun!
College internships have been a controversial topic over the last few months, with students suddenly claiming that they’ve been forced to work long hours performing tedious tasks which had nothing to do with their job descriptions, but it’s still important to gain experience in your field before you graduate from college. Internships are a great way to do just that. Now that summer’s here, enjoy your break from school and find yourself an awesome internship to learn the tricks of the trade!
Gift ideas for Teacher Appreciation Week
For the most part, teachers are unrecognized, overworked, and underpaid. Here is your chance to turn that around – if only for a week!
U.S. Census: Confusing for College Students?
April 1, 2010 was Census Day, or the date by which the United States Census Bureau had requested for all completed Census forms to be sent back. If you’re not quite sure what it is, a census is simply the process of collecting and recording information about the members of a certain group of people, which means that the U.S. Census is done to collect information about people living in the U.S. at that time. The U.S. Census is performed every 10 years, and college students have historically been a difficult group to count due to their mobile lifestyles: many live in dorms during the school year yet return home during school breaks.
Tips for graduation day
You have worked hard – possibly for years – toward accomplishing this goal. It is now the end of the road, and graduation day is upon us. Make sure that you do it right, and celebrate appropriately – you deserve it!