A Rutgers lecturer is saying Beyoncé’s name in a college course focused on the star and new mom. And this course is not just for the “single ladies” on campus.
In the class, “Politicizing Beyoncé,” Kevin Allred, a Ph.D. student in the school’s Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, uses Beyoncé’s status as a sex symbol, her racy performances, and her roles as a performer, designer, and wife to Jay-Z, as a way to discuss race, sexual, and gender politics with students.
Allred says in a story on Rutgers’ news site: “She certainly pushes boundaries. While other artists are simply releasing music, she’s creating a grand narrative around her life, her career, and her persona.”
Students in the class at the New Jersey school also read writings by other black women, such as Alice Walker.
Some folks have criticized Allred for choosing to focus on Beyoncé in this way, but to me it reflects something that is so cool about college. Professors and lecturers have the ability to create classes based on pop culture trends or to update their courses to bring in examples using celebrities and topics making headlines.
When planning your college schedule, look at the background of your professor or lecturer (not if they’re just an easy or tough grader). Allred’s interest is in Beyoncé is partly due to his background in music, as a singer/songwriter.
Other professors, lecturers, and graduate students across the country have a close connection with topics through their current and past experiences in fields ranging from politics to music to art. Learning from someone like that can make their classes seem more relevant when you’re in them.
So your professor may not be talking about Beyoncé, but if you find one who puts a fun spin on one of our core courses or a class in your major, it can help you be a “survivor” during your college experience.
With the New England Patriots and New York Giants facing off in Super Bowl XLVI next month, we wanted to see where they stacked up, in terms of colleges and universities. Neither town fumbles with its wide array of schools, which have turned both areas into hubs for higher education.
The Boston, Mass., area – home to the New England Patriots – boasts elite schools including Harvard University and MIT (both in nearby Cambridge), private and public two-year and four-year universities, community colleges, and technical schools. The team plays outside of Boston, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
Here’s our Super Bowl-worthy lineup of historic and innovative colleges and universities in Boston.
Founded: 1839 (It actually began as a Methodist seminary in Vermont and moved to Boston in 1867.)
Majors: Boston University has more than 250 fields of study.
Cool fact: Boston University has seven Nobel Prize winners, including Martin Luther King Jr. (who earned his Ph.D. from the school in 1955), and 22 Pulitzer Prize winners among its faculty and alumni.
Majors: UMass Boston has eight colleges and graduate schools, with the top five bachelor’s degrees awarded in management, psychology, nursing, criminal justice, and English.
Cool fact: The University has been recognized for its advocacy of human and civil rights, and works to promote social justice worldwide.
Majors: The largest independent college of contemporary music in the world, offers majors in composition, contemporary writing and production, electronic production and design, film scoring, jazz composition, music business/management, music education, music production and engineering, music therapy, performance, professional music, and songwriting.
Cool fact: Berklee alumni earned 30 Grammy nominations in 2011.
If you go to or are applying to these or other schools in the Boston area, we would love to hear from you in the comments section below. Look for schools in the New York Giants area in our next blog post.
-Lori Johnston (additional reporting by Delaney Young)
How did my true love ever guess that I wanted three French hens today?
Although I can do without the non-stop Christmas music on the radio, I am NOT ready to say goodbye to my favorite time of the year. And luckily, I don’t have to! After all, there are 12 days of Christmas, just like the song tells us. And as Shakespeare’s play tells us, Twelfth Night was a pretty fun party all those centuries ago.
I will stubbornly leave my Christmas tree and decorations out until January 5, the day that the 12 drummer drumming are due to arrive from my true love. Feel free to celebrate those 12 days right along with me, thanks to this college-themed version of that golden Christmas oldie. Merry Christmas!
The Twelve Days of a (College-Bound) Christmas
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…. One perfect college essay.
On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Two March Madness finalists.
On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Three-year undergrad programs.
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Four-year college scholarships.
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… FIVE OLYMPIC HOPEFULS.
On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Six frat boys a-scheming
On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Seven days of parties
On the eight day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Eight hours of sleep.
On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Nine ways of paying (my tuition).
On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Ten uses for ramen noodles.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… 11 AM classes (more sleep!)
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Twelve hours in the library.
Yep, You-Know-Who’s making a list and checking it twice this week. It’s important to impress Santa by staying on the “nice” list when it comes to preparing for college. Avoid these actions that can get you a lump of coal in your stocking:
• Not retaking the SAT to improve your score, if necessary.
• Forgetting to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form, which can be submitted after Jan. 1, 2012.
• Blowing off senior year and letting your GPA slide.
• Turning off your mind during the holidays by not reading or following the news or ignoring assignments while out of school.
Nice
• Volunteering to help those in need, which can round out your application for college.
• Taking an extra AP class instead of an easy course for your final year in school.
• Graduating early and getting a head start at a community college before heading off to another school.
• Keeping up or even improving your GPA senior year to end high school on a strong note.
• Getting a part-time job to earn some money for college.
Santa not only sees you when you’re sleeping, but he also knows when you’re awake (sort of) and in school. So there’s still time this year or next year to give Santa a reason to say “ho, ho, ho” and to get your college future off to a merry start.
We’re back with one of our favorite recurring blog topics! Take a look at some of the interesting, thought-provoking, or just plain silly things that college-bound students are tweeting about these days:
How can test prep be so entertaining, you ask? Well, when you get a great conversation going and add some slap-happy people to the mix (it is a short holiday week, after all!), mirth and mayhem ensue!
Our good Twitter friend @akilbello started the trend of funny analogies. You won’t find these on the SAT or ACT, but they are a reminder that you need to keep your sense of humor as you study for entrance exams. Enjoy!
SAT is to ACT as McDonalds is to Burger King
ACT Science is to Science as Chicken McNuggets are to Chicken
SAT is to college admissions as gold fronts are to dating
Tests are to grades as hamburger is to Angus Deluxe Bacon & Cheese
We got in on the act with this one:
Bad test taker is to SAT as Nicki Minaj is to walking in high heels. (AMAs reference)
… and we added a few more today.
Skipping breakfast is to taking SAT as empty gas tank is to road trip.
Oxygen is to survival as #2 pencils are to answer grid.
Taking the ACT is to taking the SAT as annoying is to annoying.
Yes, these tests are a necessary evil of the admissions process. It helps to laugh about it, though, so add your own fun analogy below. Better yet, join us next Monday at 4pm ET as we tackle a new college-bound topic!
One of the things we love about college is that when it comes to style, you can be yourself. But on college campuses this fall, some students are getting attention for their unstylish garb. It’s not just students’ gossiping, but enraged football fans complaining about some of these fashion faux pas. That’s because certain college football players are wearing new Nike and Under Armour uniforms with questionable color combinations and non-traditional designs.
In their defense, these players have no choice – it’s the decision of the school to have them wear the new jerseys, pants and helmets, sometimes for one game, but possibly throughout the entire season.
U-G-L-Y This ain't got no alibi. It's ugly!
The buzz about these college football uniforms is bringing even more attention to longtime college football powerhouses and nationally ranked teams. Boise State (a rare all-white look), Georgia (some said they looked like Power Rangers), and Oklahoma State (especially the all gray ensemble) are among the schools whose new uniforms caused negative comments from fans. Others, like Navy, Army, and LSU have avoided the same type of outrage.
Whether people love the uniforms or hate them for being so ugly, we love that the furor over football fashion is giving more attention to schools like Maryland, which isn’t known for their football programs. Some thought Maryland’s odd garb (see photo above), with the helmets and jerseys split down the middle to reflect the state flag, looked like the colorful attire of the knights at Medieval Times – the joust-filled dinner venue. The uniforms – seen during a nationally televised game in early September – was just one of 32 different combinations from Under Armour, and more than a few spectators got dizzy looking at them.
Of course, one would hope that you’re not going to choose a school based on a football uniform or even how fashionable students are on campus. But consider the fuss over football uniforms as just one more way to learn about more schools and college life.
What do you think? Offensively ugly or much ado about nothing?
We’ve had some very wet weather in the New York this week, and I have to say I’m very glad to be tucked away in my office instead of trekking across a soggy campus. It was never fun for me to do so when I was a student, and I can’t imagine it’s a barrel of monkeys now. However, college girls have one thing that I didn’t have: RAIN BOOTS.
When I was in college, if you walked around in the rain with anything else but an umbrella and maybe one of those pullover windbreakers, you’d most likely get ribbed by everyone, including the professors. But now, wearing knee-high boots is not only a practical thing to do, but it’s also really cool. And with so many designs to choose from, you have a good chance of picking one that is uniquely suited to your style and personality. Take a look at some of these (all available at Target, by the way):
The Biker Boot
What it says about you: You can be edgy AND have dry feet.
Who wears it best?: Theatre majors
The Camouflage Boot
What it says about you: You’re ready for anything, though you can always hide in a trench if necessary. Who wears it best?: Student athletes
The Hello Kitty Boot
What it says about you: You are as girly as they come. Who wears it best?: Cute sorority girls
The Urban Boot
What it says about you: You really, really, really heart NYC. Who wears it best?: Anyone but a New Yorker
The Old-School Boot
What it says about you: You enjoy letting your inner child out to play in the puddles. Who wears it best?: Elementary education majors
The Fire-Engine Red Boot
What it says about you: You are confident and have lots of friends, who are now able to spot you from across campus. Who wears it best?: Club presidents
The Argyle Boot
What it says about you: You are preppy and don’t care who knows it. Who wears it best?: Spectators at college polo or crew meet, preferably wearing a string of pearls and a sweater tied around the shoulders.
The Plain Black Boot
What it says about you: You are practical, and this boot will coordinate with every outfit you own. Who wears it best?: Accounting majors
What do you think? Leave a comment if you agree with my choices or would prefer to give this post the, uh, boot.
Can you remember when you read your first Harry Potter book? What about when you saw the first movie with Daniel Radcliffe, who was such a cute little kid when he took on role of the famous wizard? It might seem like Harry Potter has been with you almost your entire life – through elementary school, middle school, and high school. The first book came out in 1997 and the first film in 2001.
Ron, Harry, and Hermione, as they were in 2011.
Now that the last movie – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – is out at theaters, it’s the end of an era for Harry Potter. It’s a bittersweet moment for a lot of Harry Potter fans, and that may include you, too!
This final Harry Potter chapter in film is getting a ton of attention with publications like Entertainment Weekly looking back at great Potter moments and how the film’s stars have all grown up. Radcliffe is on Broadway, for example, and we’ve written often about Emma Watson’s (or Hermione’s) college pursuits.
When the first part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out last year, we had fun imagining how Potter and his friends would stand out in the college admissions process. And while the series’ finale (spoiler alert!) doesn’t have Harry, Hermione, Ron, or other Hogwarts students heading off a special wizard university, the end of Harry Potter could add to your feeling that it’s the end of an era for you, too, as you finish high school.
Rupert Grint’s (aka Ron Weasley) recent comment to Larry King on CNN shows that he and other cast members feel the same way. He says: “It was kind of like the last day of school, and I remember packing up my dressing room and putting all these kind of odd birthday cards and toys that I’d kind of collected over the years … It was quite a big kind of shock, really, kind of, leaving it behind.”
The trio a decade later, at the final "Harry Potter" movie premiere. (PR Photos)
As you say goodbye to Harry Potter, savor the impact the book series and films might have had on your childhood.
Maybe those hefty books encouraged you to read more. Maybe you formed friendships with other Potter fans, who also stood in line – wearing broken glasses, wizard-like cloaks, and a fake lightning-bolt-shaped scar on your heads – for the midnight showings of the movies. Maybe it helped you and your parents find something to enjoy together throughout your school years.
And as you head off to college, you’ll savor those memories, but now it’s time for the next era of your life, just as the stars are moving onto a new chapter in their careers. And if you get nostalgic during fall semester, don’t worry – Rowling’s Pottermore site is set to launch in October!
During the summertime gap between high school and college, you don’t need to completely stop learning. Avoid having brain freeze in the fall by finding ways to educate yourself this summer as you work, vacation with family, and hang out at home. Need some ideas? Here are five ways college students recommend to keep learning during the summer:
1. Brush up on skills at work
Even if you’re in a restaurant job or washing cars or mowing yards, use the time at work to improve your skills, from math to learning about different management styles by watching your bosses. Babysitting is a great way to better your communication skills, too!
2. Read a book
If your fall syllabus (typically available online) for American literature, history, or another course already lists the required reading, get a jump start on one of those books. Or download on your Kindle or check out from the library a biography of someone successful in a career field of interest to you, and get the inside scoop about that profession. Want to read something lighter? Then go for the latest beach read–reading IS reading, after all. Reading books or magazines will improve your comprehension skills, so it won’t feel so weird once fall comes to pick up a book again.
3. Travel abroad
If you’re heading to another country with your parents or friends, or maybe were lucky enough to get a graduation present to Europe or another beautiful location, embrace learning about the world, too. Bringing back your knowledge of sights, history, languages, and different cultures can help you as you enter college. A global perspective is beneficial in classes ranging from political science to business.
4. Help others
During the college application process, you saw how schools sought students who were involved in the community. Now that you’ve been accepted, don’t make volunteering part of the past. Continue to volunteer or get involved in a new organization. Understanding the challenges facing people in our society today is knowledge that you can bring into possible class discussions this fall–and at the very least, you’ll impress your professor.
5. Learn online
Signing up for an online course will help you knock out one of the required first-year classes and give you a head start in your college education. You’ll learn not only the course material, but you’ll also learn what it takes to motivate yourself. And that could be the greatest lesson you learn this summer – how to get motivated, without your parents, to study and complete college assignments when so many things serve as distractions.
How are you learning and still enjoying the summer?
Find out more about the popular Twitter chat, #CollegeBound, which can connect you with college respresentatives and others who have the same goals, struggles, and questions you have. Every Monday at 4 p.m. EST on Twitter. Get detailed info here.
Who We Are
Follow our smart and savvy CBN bloggers as they guide you through every step of your quest to find the right college. Whether it’s figuring out that FAFSA, making sense of the SAT, or simply dishing gossip about celebrity smarty pants, they’ve got you covered. But be warned—these bloggers are fully caffeinated and know how to use their social media powers for both good and evil! So, whaddya’ say — do they get an A+?
