Why College? Part 8 — Learning to Think

Higher education is not about money, not at the heart of it. Higher education is about learning to think, and while the ability to think is not as tangible as a cold, hard paycheck, saying “No way!” to college is saying “No way!” to a lifetime of both financial and cultural growth.

Forgiving Debt, and Your Checkbook

In light of graduating season, there’s a buzz in the air among many recent grads about repaying student loans. Those heading straight to graduate school may have a few more years of deferment, but those leaving academia begin repaying loans right away. Among my circle of friends who attended both public and private schools, payments seem to be around $70-$200 per month. With a common student debt loan upwards of $10,000 (and that’s being conservative), repayment periods tend to span at least a decades. A decade after college, I’d like to own a home and have a family. Surely, I don’t want to still be making monthly payments for classes I took while still a teenager. Fortunately, it may not have to be that way. Several new developments have been sprouting up across the country geared toward forgiving student debt, exchanging volunteer hours for loan repayment and other like-minded initiatives. [...]

Rounding out your résumé

I am three weeks from graduation, and beginning to experience the brunt of the difficult job market.  And on nearly every application, the employer is far more interested in your practical experience than your school performance. Now, this isn’t to say that school doesn’t matter, because it does. Obviously no one will hire you if you flunk out of college. It just means that achieving a perfect 4.0 GPA in college does not guarantee you a job. I first learned this in high school, when a human resources head from a software company visited our class. In his visit, he showed us three résumés on the screen, with obvious differences between them. The first had a perfect GPA in college, but with limited practical experience.  The second had a 3.0 GPA, with a lot of experience.  The third had a 2.5 GPA, with the most experience.  He asked the class [...]

Plan C: Wake Up, Colleges!

This article is in response to “Plan B: Skip College” by Jacques Steinberg, which was published on May 14 in the New York Times. “Plan B” details many reasons why some high school students may be better off pursuing a vocational course or apprenticeship rather than a college degree. Included among these are the high cost of time and money that goes toward college education, the urgent need for workers in many fast growing industries like nursing and customer service that require specific skill sets but not a college degree, and the fact that some students are “unlikely to be successful pursuing a higher degree” or “may not be ready to do so” and would benefit from more “credible alternatives.” Professor Richard K. Vedder, an economist at Ohio University who advocates for the need for multiple pathways to college and career, likes to ask why 15 percent of mail carriers [...]

Mother’s Day, or: A Celebration of How Your Future Is Decided?

The apple often doesn’t fall far from the tree. We all know that adage. For better or for worse, our moms (and dads) make a big difference in our college and career success. What to do if your parents were not well-educated or high up on the professional ladder.

If Some is Good, More is Better: Why the Trend of One-And-Done College Athletes may be Fading

Today, Parade Magazine announced their selections for their annual High Boys Basketball All-American Team. According to  Parade, Jared Sullinger, the magazine’s 2010 Player of the Year will be headed to Ohio State next, likely to shore up an offense who will miss AP College Player of the Year, Evan Turner, as he is likely to bolt Ohio State for the glory of playing in NBA. Ohio State’s Evan Turner, Kentucky’s John Wall and Demarcus Cousins, are part of a growing class of exceptionally talented first-year players who otherwise would have made the jump after their senior years of high school to The Association (the nickname for the NBA). The only rule that stopped them from doing just that was one enacted in 2005 by current NBA commissioner David Stern. Concerned with the number of recruiters and agents making their way into high school gymnasiums, and the notion that many of [...]

Why College? Part 1 — Opening (and Shutting) Doors

For me the question of “Why College?” is something I have considered very seriously in the course of completing my degree. I am technically an alumnus of University College London. When I finish the degree I started in 2005 I will also be an alumnus of the University of Westminster. One degree, two universities: I have asked the question “Why College?” not once, but twice. The first time I asked myself that question I barely had to think about it. I was already going to college and I was going to a good one. I got into UCL, described as a “British Ivy League university.” I met interesting people, I had a great time, and through it all I even had time to study and write essays, which are the basic elements of a History degree. Why ask “Why College?” when things are proceeding as people expect and life is [...]

For What it’s Worth: The Value of College

As Elizabeth mentioned, February is a month filled with opportunities for budding relationships (college acceptance letters) and heartbreak. (sigh…rejection letters). In some cases, these same letters may force some soon-to-be graduating high schools seniors to revisit a question they once confidently answered months before penning rough draft personal statements. What’s more, the answer to this question may not arrive after one discussion. The question is simple: “What’s the value of a college degree?” Using qualitative and quantitative analysis, Wall Street Journal columnist Sue Shellenbarger attempted to answer that question. Below you will find excerpts from her December 2009 article as well as some great BetterGrads-inspired commentary. Finding work you love. College degrees can guide students’ career choices in subtler ways. Jason Wotman, 24, loves his work as a co-founder of Tailwaiters, a Great Neck, N.Y., startup that runs tailgate parties for clients at sporting events and concerts. “It’s mine, it’s [...]

Blogging toward a career

The New York Times ran an interesting article recently about transitioning college students into careers: “Even before they arrive on campus, students—and their parents—are increasingly focused on what comes after college. What’s the return on investment, especially as the cost of that investment keeps rising? How will that major translate into a job?” One important area where universities can train students for careers is writing. With the advent of blogs and other self-publication outlets, it has become increasingly important for students to know how to both write well and transition their writing into the public domain. When I arrived at San Francisco State University, I knew that I needed to acquire writing as a skill for both graduate school and a potential career in academia.

Bettergrads Unplugged

Happy New Year! 2010 should be a great year for Bettergrads. I received a facebook message from the Bettergrads co-founder and social-entrepreneurship czar Kevin Adler, informing me that he would be spending the New Year’s weekend in the OC / LA area. Yesterday I met up with him, his brother Chris, and Emerald (Chris’ girlfriend) at Cross Roads Trading Company, a small consignment / thrift store in Santa Monica. It is always a treat to spend time with Kevin. The last time we were together, we spent the weekend making some hilarious videos for Bettergrads. It was a great bonding experience and a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the organization . Before returning to LA, I made sure to squeeze in a trip to a local Nordstrom’s Rack, as Kevin shared that he needed to update his wardrobe. Like most guys, Kevin does not like shopping as it is [...]