Archive for July, 2008
Ever wonder if there is a way to gain career experience while still in high school? Well, according to a recent New York Times article there exists a way to gain career preparation prior to college (or without going to college), but the importance of a college education is still emphasized. 
This new high school program, known as a career academy, has recently gained extra attention and popularity. The National Academy Foundation (www.naf.org) heads the program and there are more than 2,500 career academies in the US today. Career academies, found mostly within low-income areas, combine job placement, college preparation, and classes to go beyond the old high school non-college track. The academies offer paid internships and jobs. The programs also include emphasis on subject areas that are usually not studied before attendance at a college. The areas include business, tourism, accounting, and much more.
A recent study performed on students who participated in these career academies showed that there are significant and lasting affects among these low-income teenagers, who many times believe they cannot have career success and experience self-doubt about pursuing a college education . With the help of these career academies, these high school students are able to build the confidence they need to attend college. So even though many are career ready, college is still part of the plan. And this is the message high schools which participate in this program hope to relay.
Remember these important facts. College allows you to explore your career field in a more in depth way. You’re able to meet people along the way who share your interests and therefore you are able to network. Also, college graduates make much more than those with a high school diploma or GED. These are the reasons why everyone continues to stress the importance of college.
To read this New York Times article in its entirety and learn more about this study, click here .
- Priscilla Rodriguez
July 28th, 2008
College is a time to discover things you may be passionate about, gain career preparation, and make friendships to last you a lifetime. But not everyone knows how to go about gaining the most out of their first year. As you slowly begin to approach the day to leave home (or stay local), here are a few tips to help you survive your freshman year:
1. Go to Summer Orientation
The temptation to skip summer orientation may loom through your mind, but skipping summer orientation may prevent you from learning about campus facilities, academics, and extracurricular activities. This day is also a chance to meet other freshmen students and gives you the chance to start making friends before classes start. 
2. Attend All Classes
This is probably one of the most obvious and frequent advice given to first year students, but it’s also very true and a must follow. Classes in college are much more intense and fast paced than high school classes. They demand a lot of time and require that you attend class to know the material. Missing just one day could set you back over a week with material.
3. Join a Team or Club
College is more than just academics. In order to meet new people you need to do more than just go to class, you need to become involved in campus life. By joining a team or a club you have the chance to meet people who share your interests.
4. Get an On-Campus Job
We all know how expensive attending college can be and since this is usually the case, a part time job may be needed to make ends meet. The best thing you can do is get a part time job on-campus. Whether it be at the campus bookstore or a departmental office, on-campus jobs save you time and allow you to work an hour or two in between classes. They’re more flexible and more understanding of a student’s schedule.
5. Stay Healthy (Keep the “Freshman 15” Away)
Eating three meals a day with snacks in between is all you need to stay healthy and make sure you don’t pack on the pounds. Skipping breakfast is never a good idea, it will cause you to feel even hungrier later on and the result will be eating a much larger meal. Avoid those late night food runs as well. Eating before going to sleep doesn’t allow the food to digest therefore causing additional food storage.
- Priscilla Rodriguez
July 23rd, 2008
How would you like to get a college education completely tuition-free for your four-year degree? This is possible for all students who attend Berea College (Berea, KT), where every single student admitted gets a free ride. There is a catch, however. Students who are admitted are from low-income families and show exceptional need and promise for completion of academics.
Berea College is just like a regular college - you get a great education, you can participate in extracurriculars, and there is a staff that cares about your academic success. Students not only do all these things but they also work on campus (and get paid too!) at least 10 hours per week. Internships, co-ops, and study abroad opportunities abound. And there are more than 45 majors and minors from which students may choose.
Students are chosen based mainly on their family’s income to give students who may not be able to afford college at all, the chance to get a solid education. At Berea, they “don’t think your income should dictate your outcome.”
For more on Berea, see the article in the Times.
-Amanda Fornecker
July 21st, 2008
You’re not the only one to go to college, you know. Celebrities have gone too. And the latest to graduate is Peter Parker’s best friend and Spider-Man’s worst enemy: Harry Osborn, the New Goblin - known to those in the real world as James Franco.
According to the Daily News, Franco just graduated from UCLA with a degree in English Lit and plans to attend graduate school in the Fall at NYU. This 30-year-old always aspired to get his education on through all the roles he’s played over the years in popular titles like Freaks and Geeks, Never Been Kissed, and of course the wildly popular Spider-Man series.
Says Franco in the DN article:
“‘I am going back to school because I love being around people who are interested in what I’m interested in,” Franco told us. “That is the best way to learn.
“For me, being able to act in movies is not having it all. I am interested in other things, and I take my interests seriously. Thus, I’m back in school.’”
And there you have it. Franco just proves you can follow your dreams, work hard, and achieve your degree all at the same time. And even if you didn’t go straight from high school to college you can go back because it’s never too late. So follow Franco’s example and get started on your school search.
Photo: © 2008 Gettyimages. All rights reserved.
-Amanda Fornecker
July 11th, 2008
You’ve seen them — bulletins sent in the mail or galleries linked on school websites — and they’re all filled with the same things: happy, smiling students of every race and color who are either walking around campus or deeply engaged in a professor’s lecture.
But just how accurate are these microcosms of college living? According to recent research headed by Timothy Pippert, an associate professor of sociology from Augsburg College (Minneapolis, Missouri), not very.
Using a random sampling of 371 college and universities, Pippert studied various promotional materials and found that schools often over-represented the number of minorities on campus. For example, while black and Asian students comprise 7.9 and 3.3 percent of the average college student body, respectively, their presence in college bulletins and other materials amount to 12.4 and 5.1 percent of students portrayed.
The effect can be two-fold, gain the interest of students who are interested in attending a diverse college and make minority students feel more welcome. But does this penchant for picture diversity constitute a conspiracy to lure in students? What do you think?
– Genevieve M. Blaber
July 11th, 2008
“I left school at 15. I’m not a genius songwriter. I don’t think I’m really good at anything.” - Lily Allen to Rollingstone Mag
Well that’s an interesting quote from a somewhat British role model who sings about smiling. Leaving school at 15 is nothing to brag about, as not all of us can have a lucky break to have one CD that goes out and does well. She clearly has self-esteem issues (not to mention drug problems) and maybe if she took a few classes then she’d learn a craft and be able to go out into the world and be more productive. It’s sad that she doesn’t feel like she’s good at anything. But I guess that’s what cutting off your education will do to you at such an early age.
Some advice for Ms. Allen: In order to be really productive you first need to believe in yourself. Then see what you’re good at. You’ve got to be good at something, right? What are your interests, goals, and passions in life? Try to make a list of these things and see what programs might be of interest to you. A degree will certainly help you go farther than only a few years of high school education.
In the case of Ms. Allen, of course, she’ll need to get her GED before she proceeds with coursework at practically every collegiate program in the U.S. or Canada. Maybe she can go to cosmetology school and learn the dos and don’ts of dying your hair (pink is soo not in).
I can’t help but wonder, if she doesn’t have any talents, what’s her back-up plan if and when she doesn’t have another singing hit? Maybe with a degree Lily Allen will actually smile for a good reason and not at seeing her ex-boyfriend miserable…
-Amanda Fornecker
July 9th, 2008
