Campus Report

People from our parents' generation laugh about the shortsighted advice given to them when they were college-age kids ready to start building their lives. They say that all their parents, teachers and guidance counselors encouraged them to go to school and study law, medicine and engineering. Why? Because the nation needed its doctors, lawyers and engineers in those days, so they assumed there would be jobs waiting for them. Just a few years down the road, the professions America really needed were teachers, nurses and computer programmers. It's not that our folks were intentionally misguided, just that they were given well-meaning but ultimately outdated information. As for our generation, we got a similar, if more troubling, serving of bad advice.

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You don’t have to be Chuck Norris (hell, Zeus and Thor and Ra wrapped together don’t have to be Chuck Norris), but knowing some basic self-defense is always a good idea. You never know when you’re going to get yourself into a pickle, whether it’s a dispute over your kid’s coat at daycare or the naked guy trapped in your trunk bursts forth screaming and waving a crowbar.

Do you know what the most important part of your body is when it comes to self defense? I’ll give you a clue—it’s not your six pack abs, bulging biceps, or the taser hidden in your purse.

It’s your brain. Read more

Obama Asks for $1 billion+ more for educationOk, so Obama is out asking for money again. I’m beginning to get the feeling that he is going to spend as much money as he can as quickly as he can and then sort of deal with it later- and it feels blasphemous to say, because I voted for and love President Obama. But man, do you have a policy or administrative idea that doesn’t cost over $1 billion? Is that even possible when it really comes down to it? Is that just the deal for a country with over 300 million people? Can we do anything for less than $3 per person? Read more

Does Chris Crocker Look Ok for School?Do you believe that it is ok for a boy to wear a skirt to school if he is not in Scotland wearing a kilt? How about a Chris Crocker styled wig, complete with the make-up of Tammy Faye Baker on a male high school student? Should this be in bounds for the school dress code or should this be disallowed on school time?

Along the same lines, is it acceptable for a female student to wear a tuxedo to her Sr. Prom or should she conform to society’s standards and wear a dress? Is that the same type of situation?

The NYT recently ran an article checking out the answers to some of these questions on a cross-country basis. Not surprisingly, the answers varied widely from state to state. Read more

Text-BooksForget about libraries or college bookstores as the place to get your college textbooks. That’s the old, antiquated way. Now, students can “rent” their text-books from Barnes & Noble campus bookstores or purchase books through Amazon for their Kindles. If you haven't read it already, definitely check out my colleague Sarajean's article detailing other "textbook rental" places, which, not surprisingly, are cheaper than Barnes & Noble's.
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10. Keep the Bills in Check

Running up your phone bill—whether on your cell or in the dorm—is one of the easiest things to do in college; so is blowing off classes you’ve paid good money for. Watch your spending in 2010 and stay frugal. You’ll thank yourself down the road!

9. Buy Used Whenever Possible

Skip anything unnecessary, and for anything you absolutely must have, see if you can get it used or free first. I could kick myself for the dumb stuff I charged on my student account.

8. Put Your Studies First…Or Close to First

There’s no question that family comes first, but rushing, clubbing, and drinking should all not be a close second (or even fifth). These things are fun, and can be a part of an enjoyable social life—but you’re paying hard earned money for this degree, so remember that when it’s time to study. Read more

Yes, you’ve got finals. Depending on whether or not you’re staying at school, you might even have a little packing to do—and definitely some laundry after all of that cramming. But you can still find a little time to make your dorm festive for the holidays if you really want to.

Tiny Christmas trees are perfect for dorms. Have you seen the new ones they’re making that stray from the normal green and white? They now come in pink, blue, black, red, and other colors, so you’re likely to find one that you love and that works with your current décor. Read more

Months ago, I signed up for a free resource at Learn Out Loud and have been pleasantly surprised by all of the goodies I’ve received in my inbox since. From talks by Amy Tan to lectures featuring famous authors and historians to even classical books on tape, nearly every free download has provided something to enjoy.

And if you don’t feel like signing up for the emails, you can actually access hundreds of free audio files on the site instantly. There’s something for everyone, including biographies, philosophy essays, business lectures, current events, digital information, travel, sports, health and fitness—if there’s something you’re hoping to learn about, chances are you can get a free download here. Read more

It’s that time of year again—a time of whining about essays, entrance exams, scholarship applications and other items of an academic nature. Of course, it’s pretty silly to whine about so many things that are strictly for your own benefit—particularly the ones that don’t cost anything!—but that hasn’t stopped prospective college students yet.

With November being National Scholarship Month, it’s a good time to start applying if you haven’t already. Scholarship money is free money, and shouldn’t be overlooked no matter what. Even if you think you’re getting money from a tutoring program, a test score, or from another source, apply for every scholarship you can to ensure that college is as affordable—possibly even as free—as it can be.

Use this National Scholarship Month Checklist to help save yourself as much money as you can on your education. Read more

Swine Flu (H1N1) has now been declared an official emergency by President Obama. If you're living on your own, whether it's in off-campus housing or a dorm room, you need to prepare to take care of yourself. One of the first things to do is create a flu kit now, because if you have flu, you're not going to feel like doing anything, not even picking up the basics you'll need to take care of yourself. With any sort of flu, you pretty much have to take care of the symptoms and do what you can to help your body fight off the virus. You need to be prepared for dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea and sweating, for feeling too weak to prepare food, and you need to prevent high fever from damaging your brain. A prolonged high fever ( around 105 degrees Farenheit, or 40.5 degrees Celcius) is dangerous. Read more