Posts filed under 'General'
You know we’re big fans of Twitter, but we’ve also had our eye on the social media phenomenon known as Foursquare. And it seems that the good folks over at Foursquare have made our Friday even better now that they’ve announced their Foursquare for Universities program.
The gist of Foursquare is that you use your smartphone to “check in” to wherever you happen to be at the moment–be it the mall, a concert, or your after-school job–and you let all of the other people in your social network know where you are so that you can meet up. Show up at one place often enough, and you’ll unlock cool “badges” and perhaps even earn the title of “mayor” for that particular venue.
Now take this concept and put it on a college campus. Major coolness will ensue, especially for those of you looking to go to one of those huge schools with campuses that resemble small cities. Not only will you be able to connect with friends wherever they are on campus, but you’ll also be able to make new friends that you might not have otherwise connected with, except for Foursquare.
Ah, social media. Bringing the world closer one tweet, status update, or check in at a time. What do you think? Love it or hate it?
–The CollegeBound Network
September 17th, 2010
If you can’t bear to leave behind your dog or cat when you go to college, there are ways to make it work. Some schools are paying more attention to the connection students have with their favorite animals by creating pet-friendly residence halls, which have their pros and cons.
But for those of you still trying to decide whether bringing your pet to live with you at school is a good idea, here are five things that two University of Georgia students have learned about having their furry friends with them.
1. Don’t forget Fido in your plans.
The biggest adjustment that Jessica Floyd, a statistics major, has had to make is planning her day around making time for dog, Bruiser.
“I made breaks in my day to walk Bruiser in the morning, at least once in the afternoon, and then in the evening,” she says. “So you have to plan class, work, whatever else, so that you don’t have surprises on your floor.” It’s the same way when you’re wanting to take a road trip with friends. If you can’t bring your pet with you, you’ll want to make sure people are willing to watch the pet or that you have money saved up to board your pet.
2. Plan ahead of time for a new pet.
If you’ve always wanted a dog and you figure college is the time you can get one on your own, or if you miss your family pet so much that you want one, certain times of the year are better than others to add an animal to your life. So think about that when you see a cute stray.
Emily Davis recommends getting the pet early in the summer and setting aside that time for socializing, behavior training, and potty training. Your apartment and neighborhood should be chosen with the pet in mind and you should bring the pet to those places before school starts and the craziness of classes, work, and other activities begins, she says.
3. Set aside spending money.
Jessica learned to budget differently to include food, treats, toys, a crate, and grooming for Bruiser. Also, you need to put away extra cash for unexpected trips to the vet or the groomers, says Emily, who is majoring in biological sciences. Money and schedules are obstacles that must be faced as a pet owner, and it’s amplified when you’re a college student, Emily says.
4. Protect your place.
Also add into the budget money for furniture protector so that your pet won’t destroy items in your dorm or apartment. Emily says she’s learned from experience that it’s a good investment. If your pet ruins something owned by a roommate, you need to replace it, Jessica says.
5. Get your roommates’ honest approval
Give special thought and consideration to roommates who may or may not have been honest with you about their fondness for or familiarity with pets, says Emily. Because of her conflicts with roommates, she rethought her decision at times to have her dog, Wally, in college. But overall, “he’s been very therapeutic and a joy to come home to every day.”
Be upfront with your roommates about the character of your pet, such as if they bark a lot or are messy, Jessica says. “Be respectful, and don’t let your pet in their room unless invited.”
–Lori Johnston
July 21st, 2010
A big thank you to all our Twitter friends who joined us for our weekly #CollegeBound Twitter chat yesterday. And to those of you who are “lurking” while we’re chatting—don’t be shy! These Twitter chats are the perfect opportunity to get the answers to the questions you have about starting or returning to college.
Yesterday’s theme was “College Myths—Debunked!” We weren’t talking about college urban legends, but rather those very real campus situations in which it might be difficult for new students to separate fact from fiction. Check out some of the highlights:
@CollegeBoundNet: True or false? If I don’t get a scholarship as a H.S. Senior, I’m out of luck. #collegebound
Responses:
@cappexcom False—there are so many scholarships and financial aid opportunities out there for students at all stages of schooling. #collegebound
@GinaLaGuardia You should always be seeking scholarships, regardless of grade, age, pursuit, etc. #collegebound
@CollegeSurfing Adults heading back to school can reap scholarship rewards, too, both school-based and private. Research is key! #collegebound
@CollegeBoundNet True or False? If I transfer, it means I couldn’t handle my school.
Responses:
@SuzanneShaffer That’s a generalized statement. Not all transfers mean failure. #collegebound
@SheldonWordNerd So not true! Every student I knew that transferred did so for personal reasons, never grades. #collegebound
@GinaLaGuardia I’d agree with @SuzanneShaffer. Many transfers mean simply a shift in pursuit/intention/”fit.” #collegebound
@CollegeBoundNet T or F? I need to major in the area in which I plan to pursue a career.
Responses:
@SheldonWordNerd Not necessarily true…there’s no undergrad major in “international supermodel” is there? Ha! #collegebound
@CollegeSurfing In a perfect world, major leads to career…but how often does that really happen? #collegebound
@SheldonWordNerd For anyone in liberal arts, your major doesn’t really “qualify” you to do anything. It’s all about critical thinking. #collegebound
Again, that’s just a small sampling of our hour-long conversation. You can read the transcript of the entire chat, or better yet, join us on Twitter on Mondays at 4 EST!
–The CollegeBound Network
July 20th, 2010
Your summer probably seems so busy, with spending last moments with friends going to other schools, family vacations, and working to come up with money for tuition, food, clothes, and having fun in college.
So it may seem like you don’t have time for your college’s freshman orientation, which may be happening as soon as this month.
Freshmen orientation is the time a college takes to set you up as a student (including getting the all-important ID card), introduce you to your adviser, show you more about campus, register for your first classes in college (you may have to take placement tests), and host activities for you to make friends. If your parents are going with you, they’ll have their own stuff to do, like workshops on financial aid.
At my freshmen orientation, I knew nobody. I was an out-of-state student coming South to college – the University of Georgia – with a Chicago accent that stood out. I could have been intimidated by not knowing anyone, but taking this first step made it easier when I officially started college. I got a small taste for dorm life and knew from freshman orientation on that I had made the right college choice.
Your school might have already sent you instructions on what to bring and expect at your freshman orientation, or they’ve set up a website with important info and questions about the often overnight, multiple-day events. But I love what NYU says about preparing for freshman orientation. It says students should bring with them, “A sense of openness and adventure.”
Going in with a good attitude and an eagerness to make friends can help you when classes officially begin. Believe me, you’re not alone if you feel anxious or nervous about freshmen orientation.
By meeting other students now, you can Facebook and text over the summer and come to school in the fall knowing people in campus. It’s possible that your freshman orientation roommate or someone you sit beside during a placement test could be one of your best friends in college.
Now that’s something you don’t want to miss.
–Lori Johnston
June 9th, 2010
Prom has perfect timing.
Right in the midst of your stress about whether you’re making the right college decision – or wondering if you’re going to get off the wait list for your top choice – the big event arrives. Sure, preparing for prom (or “the prom,” as we say in the Northeast) can be stressful, too, but when the night arrives, you and your glammed-up self get to kick back, hang out with friends, laugh, and dance away your worries.
“You’re queen for a day,” Blair O’Brien, a junior at Mary Institute St. Louis Country Day School in Missouri told the Associated Press. “For girls, prom is an all-day event where you get your hair done, nails done, and constant pampering.”
And if prom is a big deal for you, be thankful you are able to have one this year. You may remember that a Mississippi school canceled prom after a gay student wanted to bring her same-sex date to prom.
This could be your last big formal event for a while. Although your social life may include sorority and fraternity formals and semi-formals, none will actually match the same experience as prom. After all, springtime in college is more focused on surviving exams than finding a prom date and shopping for the right dress.
So don’t less the stress of prom or other senior duties get you down. You will soon be moving onto other stage of your life and memories like prom can’t be replaced.
–Lori Johnston
May 5th, 2010
The #collegesuspense is over at the Englewood campus of Urban Prep Academy for Young Men in Chicago: every member of the school’s very first senior class has been accepted to a four-year college. The seniors were granted admission to more than 70 colleges and universities, including Northwestern, Marquette, Howard University, Morehouse College, and the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.
Urban Prep first opened its doors in 2006 as the country’s first public charter high school and four years later, it has met its lofty expectations by preparing all of its students for a successful transition to college. In addition to the Englewood, there are two other Urban Prep locations in the Chicagoland area, including the South Shore campus and the one at East Garfield Park. All three schools linked by the same mission of providing at-risk students with a real chance at a better life through education.
As a reward for a job well done, Chicago Mayor Richard Daly and city schools chief Ron Huberman announced that the 107 seniors would be attending the prom for free. Considering the fact that only 4 percent of these seniors were able to read at grade level when they entered Urban Prep as freshmen, there will be a lot to celebrate at this year’s prom.
Although the school’s administrators will let the students bask in the glow of their college acceptances for a while, there’s still work to be done: Urban Prep is making sure that the students make good on their acceptances and actually attend college. In fact, the school is planning to have a special day where the seniors sign a contract promising that they will attend college.
We wish these students and all the other college-bound seniors the best of luck with all of their future endeavors.
–The CollegeBound Network
March 26th, 2010
As a college student, I admit I sometimes couldn’t resist the free T-shirt, teddy bear, blanket, and other merchandise that were offered by simply applying for a credit card at a football game or other campus activities. Other students were lured in the same way, too, and ended up using the cards frequently and getting into a mound of debt.
Those offers are going away, and although it many mean less free stuff, the government’s actions could save credit scores that sometimes are damaged in college. Legislation that took effect in late February forbids credit card issuers from offering merchandise on campus or at sporting events. It also requires people under 21 to have an adult co-signer or prove they earn enough income to pay the debt before receiving a new credit card.
It’s coming at the right time. Sallie Mae reports that half of college students had four or more credit cards, and the average balance grew to $3,173, the highest since it began the study in 1998. Students have an average of 4.6 credit cards, and only 17 percent said they paid off the cards each month, meaning that others are paying those hefty interest rates.
Suzanna Letchford, who now works as a professional organizer, remembers her first day of college and walking past a bunch of tents on campus set up by credit card companies. Each one had a sign-on gift like a blanket and a cooler for drinks, and a friendly worker to pull her in. She signed up for three credit cards that day and was approved for all of them.
“The problem is, I did not have a job yet, so I had no way to pay them off,” Letchford says. “And, I had never learned about the consequences.” Two years later, she had earned her associate’s degree but had more than $2,000 in debt. She ultimately defaulted on all of her cards, and she thinks that the new restrictions would have saved her a little bit.
Letchford says these steps would also have helped her out and could help out students now:
• Learn about credit and budgeting before opening a credit card account
• Get an organized system in place to manage your credit card records, whether they’re online or on paper
• Ask your parents for their tips on money and credit, if they haven’t already offered them to you
The government is making it a little bit easier to keep out of credit card debt, but a lot of it comes down to being smart about spending, too.
–Lori Johnston
March 2nd, 2010
A whopping $168 billion is available in federal aid for college, so whip out those applications (if you haven’t already) and start working to get a chunk of that money.
If you’re in the midst of the nearly 130-question FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), take a deep breath and relax for a moment. Whew. Then check out these 12 mistakes that students and parents often make, according to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
1. Leaving blank fields. Enter a 0 or “not applicable” instead. Too many of these can cause miscalculations in how much aid you get and could get your application rejected.
2. Listing incorrect Social Security number or driver’s license number. It seems silly, but check these entries and have someone else check them too. One typo could be all it takes.
3. Forgetting to list the college. Look up the Federal School Code for the college you plan on attending, as well as any other schools that have your applications.
4. Entering the wrong amount of federal income tax paid. Look at your income tax returns, not your W-2 forms, to find how much you paid in federal income tax.
5. Listing Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) as equal to total income: Surprise – it’s not the same figure. AGI often is larger than the total income.
6. Listing marital status incorrectly. Choose “yes” if you’re married right now. The feds only want to know what your marital status is on the day you sign the application.
7. Listing parents’ marital status incorrectly. You’ll need to provide the custodial parent’s marital status, too. Also include the stepparent’s information if they’ve remarried.
8. Leaving the question about drug-related offenses blank. A conviction might not disqualify you from receiving aid. If you’re unsure about an offense, find out before you submit your form instead of leaving it blank.
9. Using commas or decimal points in numeric fields. Round to the nearest dollar instead.
10. Forgetting to sign and date. Remember to sign the paper FAFSA. If filing electronically, be sure to get your PIN, which will serve as your electronic signature.
11. Entering the wrong address. Your permanent address is where you live when you won’t be at college; i.e. your parents’ house, not your campus or summer address.
12. Sending in a copy of your income tax returns. You don’t need to provide a copy of your tax returns with your application, so save time and trees by skipping this step.
–Lori Johnston
January 21st, 2010
In yesterday’s blog, I gave a shout-out to Evergreen State College, known not only for its most famous alum (“The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening) but also for its grading system—or lack thereof. That’s right—Evergreen State is one of a handful of colleges and universities in the U.S. that offers written faculty evaluations rather than traditional letter grades for the completion of coursework.
But don’t think that a gradeless system contributes to a campus full of slackers. In fact, much the opposite is true. Schools that opt for a written evaluation system often find that students work harder, because without the stress of a letter grade hanging over their heads each semester, students find that they enjoy learning for the sake of learning. Just ask Bridgette Mongeon, who earned her degree from Vermont College Union Institute, a school that offers written evaluations rather than traditional transcripts.
“It is my opinion that in this type of learning, you really do more than is expected of you,” she wrote in an email to CBN. “It is important to state that student-driven learning is not for everyone . . . I am a perpetual learner and find the search for knowledge extremely stimulating. It is important to note that with that hunge,r I must guide my own studies to be pertinent to my future.” It’s a plan that apparently works for Mongeon—she is now pursuing her graduate degree at Goddard College, also in Vermont and which also does not have a traditional grading system.
In the place of awarding a letter grade, faculty members at certain schools are required to write a page-long evaluation of each student’s performance. In some cases, like at Evergreen State, the student is also required to write a self-evaluation of their own progress in the subject area.
Other colleges that choose narrative evaluations over letter grades are Hampshire College in Massachusetts, Antioch University in Ohio, and the New College of Florida, which does not offer credit hours, but rather a “contract” made between faculty members and their students that clearly explains the requirements needed to successfully complete a course. First-year students at Harvey Mudd College in California are graded on a pass-fail basis, which allows them to settle into the rigors of college-level work without the stress of GPA just yet.
Critics of the no-grade system say that the lack of a traditional evaluation can contribute to lazy students, but proponents are firm in their belief that without letter grades, students feel freer to explore different subjects and get the most out of their coursework.
Maeve MacSteves, a graduate of Evergreen State, says that her professors’ honest feedback in her written evaluations could sometimes be “tough to hear,” but considers it a positive experience on the whole. In an email, she wrote, “I think [evaluations are] an amazing system, although as a college instructor now myself, I can’t imagine finding the time to do a good job for every student in every class.”
While the written evaluations seem great in their own context—specifically the college at which they are distributed—they are still received with some hesitation by other colleges (for graduate or transfer applications) and by employers who are looking for a specific minimum GPA among their applicants. It’s not that they doubt the validity of such degrees and transcripts, but there is still a lot of comfort in tradition.
Are you applying/heading off to a college that has a non-traditional grading system? Post a comment or question below.
–Barbara Bellesi
January 12th, 2010
Last night, the 450th episode of “The Simpsons” appeared on Fox. Considering most shows don’t make it past the first few episodes these days, you’ve got to admit this is an incredible feat—even if you’re not a big fan of Bart and Co. Chances are, even show creator Matt Groening didn’t imagine that the spiky-haired kid and his bug-eyed family would be the center of what would become America’s longest running prime-time comedy and longest-running prime-time animated series—beating out “The Flintstones” and pretty much everything else.
Despite Groening not being a big fan of school, he did earn his degree in 1977 from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. During his senior year, he was editor of the school newspaper and launched a comic page that poked fun at Evergreen’s faculty and administration. Funny thing was, according to one of Groening’s classmates, the page wound up winning fans among the very people he set out to irk.
Interesting fact about Evergreen State College—the administration does not issue letter grades upon the completion of coursework. Instead, in-depth evaluations from faculty and the students themselves take the place of a traditional grade. Sound crazy? Evergreen State says it’s only natural—after all, you won’t be getting letter grades from your future employers.
Turns out Evergreen State College is not the only school that spurns the traditional grading system. Check out this blog tomorrow to see what other schools have joined the club.
–Barbara Bellesi
January 11th, 2010
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You know we’re big fans of Twitter, but we’ve also had our eye on the social media phenomenon known as Foursquare. And it seems that the good folks over at Foursquare have made our Friday even better now that they’ve announced their Foursquare for Universities program.
