The headline of this month’s Harvard Education Letter is seductively simple: “Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions.” The advice is undeniably practical. But will asking questions alone suffice to create engaging classroom dialogues?

The article highlights the Question Formulation Technique (QFT), a technique for encouraging students to direct inquiry in the classroom, engage with each other and develop critical thinking skills. A teacher whose students are under-engaged in the classroom would do well by her students to study the QFT technique and begin testing elements of it. If nothing else, QFT shows that “Any questions?” following a lecture will not provoke many questions. To engage students, questions must be engaging, too.

Though effective, QFT is only half the equation. Students need to ask questions, yes. But they need to answer them, too. The teacher plays the role of guide, facilitator, and provocateur.

Most teachers I had operated under the transactional method of teaching, which is similar to a bank transaction between teller and customer. The teller (teacher) holds the money (knowledge), while the customer (student) is in demand of it. A one-way transaction occurs to process the knowledge from teacher to student.

The transactional method can be characterized as organized and linear. An ideal classroom operating under this method of teaching may look something like this:

More often, though, the transactional method classroom looks something like this:

That’s me in the front (left), teaching English to a group of 20-something students in the jungles of Siem Reap, Cambodia. Students obediently scribbled information as I imparted my knowledge, them craned to see my notes on the board. My original plan was to lecture on different conceptualizations of courage, sourcing JFK’s Profiles in Courage. That was until I arrived, asked “how are you?” and was met by largely blank stares.

One of the problems of the transactional method is that it is highly assumptive. I assumed that my “English” class was closer to “English Literature” than “English 101,” and that the 16-22 year-olds would be able to speak at an advanced level in English.

I was wrong on both fronts. Even if I had delivered a magnificent lecture (I didn’t), I was clearly way off the mark in terms of content. In the transactional method of teaching, the teacher must make a series of educated guesses daily as to the level of preparation of his students.

An alternative method of teaching is to empower students to drive their education forward by teaching them to ask questions and to respond insightfully. This organic method can be unpredictable, and highly effectively.

In spite of my JFK gaffe, my students gave me another opportunity to mold their minds and returned every other day over the next two weeks for Mr. Kevin’s class. With the honor of teaching again afforded to me, I decided to turn the teacher-focused classroom into a learning circle. Literally. 

I pinpointed the most advanced English-language learners and goaded them to help lead activities and discussion. I provided a framework for learning, and students reinforced the material by asking questions and interacting with me and, even more importantly, with each other.

To teach effectively, I learned to be a student and encouraged my students to teach, too. I learned a lot, including a very effective method for teaching English to students who speak a language like Khmer, in which verbs do not inflect (more on this in a future blog post). I learned the power of non-transactional teaching. 

And my students taught me a lot about courage, even if they were just learning the words to express it.

Photo courtesy woodleywonderworks via Flickr.

Learning an additional language is a lot like learning how to paint with colors after a lifetime of using grayscale.

I took Spanish and French in high school, and then Russian at university. Each one has helped me re-experience a world that was only ever monolingual. When I was given the opportunity to practice my Spanish skills, I took it.

That opportunity was going to Mexico. Although I had just graduated from college and had several years’ worth of studying the language, I still only spoke Spanish like a grade-schooler.

Being humbled was the best learning experience of my life. It was as if I was given a second chance to learn how to walk and talk. Many people say that if they could go back in time that they would not change a thing; when I learned Spanish from the ground up, I can say that I relived a part of my childhood, but was more receptive to everything this time around.

I remember not being able to express myself properly, and the frustration and embarrassment that came with it. I tripped so often with the language that I practically fell over when I spoke it. But as time passed, the falls became fewer and fewer until they became mere stumbles along the way. I still remember the morning when I woke up after having had a dream in Spanish: from that day hence I found myself thinking in Spanish as well.

Learning an additional language is important for your own personal growth. By learning a new language, you learn more things about your mother tongue, and also about yourself. Being able to describe yourself and the things around you in more than one language gives you more than one perspective on an issue, which widens your worldview.

The best way to learn an additional language is to immerse yourself in the target country or find native speakers. In Mexico, for example, there are many language schools dedicated to teaching foreigners Spanish. These are very helpful institutions. For me, however, I learn like a sponge: I absorbed the language on the fly while buying tacos on the street, hanging out with friends, and teaching English classes.

Being multilingual opens up new doors of opportunity for you because some doors are written in other languages, and being able to read which door leads to what is an invaluable skill in a globalized world. In high school, when my friends asked why I wanted to study so many languages, I did not really have an answer. I just told them I studied them because I liked them. Now, I can say that I studied languages to understand the world from someone else’s point of view, which is an invaluable skill in college, the workplace, and life.

Joshua B. Canty
West Gardiner, Maine

The author received a master of arts degree in international relations from Alliant International University in 2010 and a bachelor of arts degree in political science with a minor in economics from the University of Maine at Farmington in 2007. He is currently living in Mexico, where he is teaching English.

Photo courtesy Chicago Man via Flickr.

You’ve probably heard rumors about the school I attended. The school named the “Top Party School” in the U.S. by Playboy in 2002 and remains in the top 10. The school that had a sex scandal involving the student body vice president. The school that’s easy driving distance to both Las Vegas and Rocky Point, Mexico. Arizona State University. I wasn’t a partier in high school, yet I ended up at an infamous party school. Before starting, I got a lot of “Hey, isn’t that a huge party school?” from friends and family. After classes began, it didn’t change much.

My answer then (and still is): “Any college can be a party school. You make it what it is.”

Sure, at ASU you could find a frat party pretty much any night of the week. The bar scene on Mill Avenue and further north in Old Town Scottsdale is a happening place. Hookups with party-crazy freshmen were common in my dorm, Manzanita Hall (known affectionately by upperclassmen as “15 Floors of Whores”). As a whole, drugs, sex and alcohol were easy to come by.

However, maybe attributable to being a bit of a goody-goody, I kept a 3.8 grade average and graduated in three and a half years. Oh, I had fun, believe me. (Mom, Dad, if you’re reading this… if I wasn’t at the library, I was drinking milk at the cafeteria and getting eight solid hours of sleep each night!) Ok, yeah, I did partake in some underage spirits. I’m a firm believer in having fun. But I was also not about to throw away my education. I knew I was paying an exorbitant amount of out-of-state tuition, and I wasn’t about to waste the money my grandparents and parents had carefully saved. Plus, I really wanted a college degree. Have fun, yes… but study? Yup to that, too.

Things have definitely cooled down for ASU since I was there, mostly attributed to the new president’s desire to get the school in the top tiers of research universities and out of the top tiers of boobie magazine polls. As an ASU alumna, I’m glad. They’ve spent a lot of money and resources to improve education across the various colleges. This crack-down might put a damper on on-campus keg parties, but I guarantee someone will still be having a party every Friday night, and there’s always the opportunity to meet like-minded freshmen looking for a casual hook-up. If that’s literally all you want, why spend the thousands of dollars to attend college? Hit up your local college campus-adjacent bar.

The reputation ASU had as a party school didn’t come out of nowhere. I will concede it was probably (definitely) easier to find a party or drugs or whatever you wanted than at, say, Brigham Young University. Not saying the LDS community doesn’t have fun, but again, their college campuses have cleaner reputations. But again, you make it what it is. Whether or not you go to parties, also go to class, study and be able to enjoy non-alcoholic beverages, too (milk!). You’ll still have a blast, and you’ll have the added benefit of walking away at the end of it with tangible evidence of your experience: a college degree.

This article is part of the BetterGrads special series “BetterGrads Q&A.” Contributors are asked to pick one big question they had about college and tell how they found (or didn’t find) the answer. If you’d like to submit an article for this series, please read our editorial guidelines and let us know here.

2010 Fulbright Language Program, Marburg, Germany, photo courtesy Sam Lim

America’s students today face tremendous financial challenges across the board when it comes to their education. Yet, the opportunities to go abroad are still there for the taking, despite financial constraints. I’ve always believed that true learning comes from the global classroom that is the world around us, not just within the walls of a classroom. The nearly half-dozen international programs in which I participated during college convinced me that only through first-hand experiences could I truly understand the world’s challenges.

Through programs in Germany, Italy, Greece and Guatemala, my time abroad guided me toward the perfect major (international studies), exposed me to the tremendous challenges of marginalized groups, helped me develop skills to carry out ethnographic research, and reminded me that some of the greatest teachers on Earth are the people we meet on the street.

Based on these experiences, I believe studying abroad is necessary for a truly complete education, which has taken root at some universities already. We live in a world in which it is imperative now, more than ever, for young students—the global citizens of the present and the future—to know how to work and move about in an increasingly interdependent world.

The benefits of studying abroad both nationally and internationally are tremendous, as the students of today will become the lawyers, doctors, teachers, policy makers and business leaders of tomorrow. In today’s globalized, knowledge-driven economy, it only makes sense that first-hand international education should no longer remain an exception but rather become the rule.

Specifically, I think three elements are critical to a truly complete international program for students:

1. Academic and Intellectual Rigor – The core of any program should include classroom discussions and site visits with professors and guides to gain first-hand experiences related to issues in the area.
2. Community Engagement and Civic Service – Whether through volunteering at a school or another local institution, meaningful interaction with people in their own element is a critical part of global exchange.
3. Adventure and Exploration – In addition to your work, it’s important to enjoy and explore all that a country and region have to offer by taking a day trip to another major city, spending an afternoon touring the countryside, or trying the local cuisine in your neighborhood.

Yet, funding remains a major constraint to studying abroad. Whether from their parents’ coffers, short-term loans, personal savings or generous scholarships, students continue to search for ways to fund the transformational experience of studying abroad. And there are funding options available, merit- and need-based alike.

Aside from simply sending students overseas, programs such as the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships seek to create stronger relationships between communities. Through this scholarship, BetterGrads.org co-founder Kevin Adler, is now studying in Oaxaca, Mexico, and improving his Spanish skills while working locally on public service projects.

There’s also the U.S. Department of State-sponsored Fulbright Program—awarding more than 6,000 grants annually—for students, teachers, professionals and scholars to research, study or teach in more than 155 countries. During the 2010-11 academic year, I am one of 80 researchers in Germany pursuing an ethnographic research project on educational opportunities in Berlin. I have the opportunity to engage internationally at a level even greater than a university-sponsored study abroad program.

Finally, my good friend Brukab Sisay is pursuing his McNair Scholarship research in Ethiopia. He funded his way overseas through two other scholarships—the University of Washington’s Go Global Scholarship and the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs-sponsored Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship. By combining scholarships, Brukab’s experiences prove that creative application strategies can help you form the ideal study abroad program that meets your interests and goals.

But what happens if none of the options outlined above work out? Beyond your university’s international program office, you may find websites such as www.GoAbroad.com or www.TripAdvisor.com as well as websites from the traveling guru family Steves, www.RickSteves.com and Andy Steves’s www.WSAEurope.com. And if you’re really feeling adventurous, there are opportunities to go abroad through unconventional ways like traveling the world with Pulitzer Prize-winning op-ed columnist for the New York Times, Nicholas D. Kristhof, or through STA Travel’s World Travel Internship program. For those seeking even more rigorous academic and intellectual stimulation while abroad, programs such as the Humanity in Action Human Rights Fellowship promise the rewards of tremendously expanding your worldview.

In the words of the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright, “Educational exchange can turn nations into people, contributing as no other form of communication can to the humanizing of international relations.” The opportunities to explore and experience the world are there for the taking, even in times of incredible financial challenge. Be persistent in seeking out the right resources, explore how you can enhance your learning internationally, and start turning your dreams into reality. I promise: you will be glad you did.

Students unite for human rights (photo courtesy breakthetraffic.com)

As we enter college, few of us are prepared for the lifestyle change it entails. A key factor to remain successful in college is to enjoy the time that you are there. If you are miserable, then it will most certainly reflect in both your grades and your attitude about the experience.

What are your hobbies and interests? Incorporating these things into your academic life will prove to be much more enjoyable and help you set goals and work toward achievement in many disciplines. Start by looking for clubs and student organizations that fit with your values and interests. Being an active member in a club can give you the sense of achievement you may be looking for.

As a political science major, I don’t really fit well into particular party affiliated clubs such as College Republicans or College Democrats of America, but I wanted to participate in a student organization. I found that the more classes I took for my major, the more I wanted to be a part of the process. I wanted to help educate people about how important they are and the rights that they have under the U.S. Constitution. Some of the problems with our political youth is that they don’t participate very much and make uniformed decisions. Sometimes, we need someone to help educate and explain things to us while encouraging and explaining the benefits of participation of not only national politics but within our communities as well.

With nothing of the sort offered on campus, I am now in the works of becoming founder and president of the Active Americans club at Owens College.

Through forming the club, I have learned not only new roles as a leader and gained a new sense of responsibility, but how important like-minded friends are to academic success. Through our club, we not only identify policies that affect our education, families and communities, but we also learn about important legislation that was passed by our forefathers that has an under-appreciated impact on our everyday lives. We hold charity benefits for local organizations and to me, nothing makes me feel more accomplished than knowing you helped someone else. Your passion is reflected in your participation and communication with others. It encourages you to learn and remained informed. We work together for our community, charities, campus and each other so that we may better ourselves in the process.

To say that being in a club helped me academically would not do it justice. It has taught me many life lessons that will guide me through my professional life as well. The moral of the story is to go out there and participate! If it isn’t available to you, make it happen. This is the first step to finding success in the professional world. Make opportunities for yourself.

Dana Frederick
Perrysburg, Ohio
The author is a political science major and sociology minor at Owens Community College. She is currently working toward improving college retention for other students by serving as a peer mentor under Title III, a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Portrait of a Scholar by Rembrandt van Rijn, via Wikimedia Commons

The Ph.D. candidate who specializes in philosopher Jean Baudrillard ‘s theory of hyperreality in graphic novels.

The English lit master’s student who studies post-structuralism in Marcel Proust’s Swann’s Way.

The undergrad majoring in 19th century French poetry.

These hardworking, passionate scholars regularly face the same dreaded question:

“What are you going to do with that?”

An article of the same title published in the Chronicle of Higher Education earlier this month provided the transcription of a speech given to Stanford University freshmen earlier this year.

The speaker, William Deresiewicz, said:

“The problem with specialization is that it makes you into a specialist. It cuts you off, not only from everything else in the world, but also from everything else in yourself.

Of course, every profession in the world has its own specialization. From river fisherman who specialize in bamboo boats made for a very specific type of catfish… to financial lawyers who only deal with specific types of mergers between companies of a specific size and type.

Specialization in itself is not bad. Getting sucked into a hyper-specific world to the point that you no longer find use for creativity is bad.

I’ve been guilty of hyper-specialization.

In undergrad at SF State, I became obsessed with forensics (a.k.a. speech & debate). But not all of forensics… just individual events. But not all 11 individual events… just platform events. But not all platforms, either… Just three: informative (info), communication analysis (CA) and after-dinner speaking (ADS).

Those three individual events guided my life in college.

I spent my entire junior and senior years obsessing over the best topics, structure, attention-getters, sources, examples, speaking styles and visual aids to give the best info/CA/ADS I could for competition. I spent hours picking the right pantsuit-shoes-jewelry combo for different tournaments based on how conservative the judges would be. I switched up my speeches based on the types of communication programs in which my competitors were enrolled: Were their professors interpersonal theorists or post-modernist feminists? Or did they study communication management? I lived and breathed a hyper-specific academic universe.

Forensics, like any specialized field, came with its own language. It’s routine to ask an IE-er if they broke their CA and what kind of leg they need to qual for nats. The IE-er’s teammate, a big interper on the circuit, may respond that while their team is going to HFO this year, they have too many LD-ers to send everyone to AFA.

It was nuts! No one outside of the activity understood (nor cared) about what we did. But I loved it, and the sport remains an important part of my life.

However, specializing to the point of obscurity limited me, too. On one hand, I learned discipline, research skills and how to make a grumpy 6th-year rhetoric doctoral student laugh in a dingy classroom at 8 a.m. on a Saturday. On the other hand, all of my writing (academic, creative, blogging, prose, letters to my grandma…) suddenly became speech-ified.

I began to open every piece of writing with a speech-y “attention getter.” I would preview all of my paragraphs in verbal format. Once, I forgot to use MLA style in one of my English papers and instead, cited all of my sources (name, title, date) directly within the paragraph. I balked when the teacher wrote, “Google Purdue Owl to learn MLA…”

Specialization took over my entire M.O.

Deresiewicz sums up my dilemma with hindsight:

“…as you get deeper and deeper into the funnel, into the tunnel, it becomes increasingly difficult to remember who you once were.”

Was it wrong to specialize so specifically in college? Well, no, because fortunately, I had other outlets. I wrote for the campus news website, interned at the poetry library, volunteered for the YMCA and… well, that was basically the extent of my extra-forensics-curricular activities, but I’m eternally grateful for those outside experiences. I feel bad for those who did nothing outside of forensics. They have sacrificed other rich experiences to pursue a tunnel-vision directed path.

I think students need to be careful when they become hooked in one specific area in college. Maybe a tenured art history professor takes you under her/his wing and steers you toward a master’s about (specifically) one of those French poets, the subject of your excellent midterm paper. Maybe a summer internship with a big political think tank looks so good on your résumé that you can’t bear switching fields after having landed that crucial stepping stone. Maybe you’ve been telling people you were going to cure Alzheimer’s since the 9th grade and can’t bear to abandon the ability to one day say “I’ve wanted to do this since I was a kid,” once you’re a rich and successful brain surgeon.

And specialization can be a crutch. A comfy safe zone in a new environment.

This fall, the week before my journalism grad program began at USC Annenberg, I decided I wanted a spot in Neon Tommy, the student-run digital news site. I quickly labeled myself as a technology columnist and began fervently writing articles about Facebook, Twitter, Craigslist… you name it. The hottest topics in tech were mine on which to wax poetically. I didn’t have the courage to start writing without a framework, yet I ended up feeling pigeonholed by the ultra-specific closet in which I’d created. Now, I’m putting the feelers outside of this ultra-specific niche, but I’ll try to keep the framework as a starting place for new ideas. My editor has nudged me in the direction of linking the midterm elections to technology, and it sounds like a good way to stay creative while holding onto some specificity.

Remaining open to the rest of the world can be difficult once you’ve found a passion. In fact, some of the greatest discoveries and advancements have sprung from the minds of professionals who devoted their entire work to one specific thing.

But… I think the sentiment “find your passion” is a fallacy, because that implies that we have just one. “Find a passion and remain curious” seems like a more complete approach.

Toward the end of Deresiewicz’s address to Stanford’s freshman, he broke it down to imagination and courage. With those two motivators, he argued that even the most specialized individuals can channel their passion in new and fulfilling ways. He noted that having the audacity to imagine your future in creative and unpredictable ways is imperative to making the most of your mind, specialized or not.

“Morally courageous individuals tend to make the people around them very uncomfortable. They don’t fit in with everybody else’s ideas about the way the world is supposed to work, and still worse, they make them feel insecure about the choices that they themselves have made—or failed to make.”

Currently, I’m a dedicated BetterGrads volunteer, journalism grad student, online columnist and aspiring videographer… but I’d like to think I’m much more than simply the sum of these parts.

…and much less predictable.

Some students at Oberlin College have gotten quite entrepreneurial in their quest for better, more apropos college t-shirts. Instead of flashing their school’s name across their fronts in gigantic letters, Oberlin students can now sport some pretty cool-looking tops depicting the squirrels or favored library chairs known and loved by the student body. What’s more, the students involved get to learn about design, marketing, and organizing and implementing a successful business plan.

Man, I wish I’d thought of such a cool idea when I was in college! Not that I have a flair for art, but I just think that this project is awesome because the students involved learn so much and everyone loves the new, original t-shirt designs. I would still buy an Oxy t-shirt that featured images of, oh I don’t know, the Greek Bowl where I graduated or my favorite smooshy library couches.

More and more, we’re hearing stories of college students learning the ins and outs of business not from a book, but from getting out there and doing it on their own campuses. Kevin wrote about Cafe Norris at our alma mater and the students at Oberlin are another great example. It’s about doing something to better campus life while learning useful skills and information at the same time. Now if only I could draw…

What kinds of entrepreneurial endeavors have you seen on college campuses? If you could, what kind of business would you start at a university?

In light of this week’s primary elections, I want to take some time to discuss why I think that volunteering on a political campaign is an excellent experience before college and/or during college. I’ve done all three and I can’t emphasize enough what a great experience volunteering on a campaign can be.

As a senior in high school, I got peripherally involved in a Students for (John) Kerry group and even though my participation was limited, it was still an excellent way to connect politically before I could vote. When I got to college the following year, I was more than ready to jump into volunteering on a pro-choice ballot campaign in California. This was a great way to learn about issue-based campaigns and immerse myself in political topics relevant to my new state. It also introduced me to many students on campus with whom I shared political views and passions that I might not have met otherwise. I volunteered on a similar campaign the following year, which conveniently coincided with my decision to major in politics, another excellent tie-in between academics and outside endeavors.

And of course, interning for Grassroots Campaigns, Inc. to support Barack Obama’s campaign was an incredibly valuable experience. I met a range of people from recent college grads to mid-career professionals choosing to volunteer on top of their day jobs. By interning in the local office near my campus, I learned more about campaigns and the individual policy points relevant to such a momentous election. On election night, I wore one of several Obama T-shirts that I own. A friend said to me, “For me, it’s pretty much just a shirt. For you, it’s something way more important.” So very, very true. (And kind of him to say out loud.)

Make a T-shirt mean more than just a T-shirt: get involved in a political campaign. Why? The reasons are numerous.

Getting political in high school provides early exposure to skills and issues relevant in college.
Working with new people from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, talking to strangers, learning to communicate concisely and effectively—it’s all there. I only wish that I’d gotten more involved in a campaign in high school because doing so, even on my cursory level at the time, motivated me to really learn about current affairs, which prepared me for discussions inside and outside of the classroom in college. Furthermore, I think that campaign experience can only help a college application because it demonstrates the kind of initiative, work ethic, and passion for pertinent issues that colleges look for in applicants. And who knows? You might even discover a skill or interest that you didn’t know you had and want to pursue in college.

Getting political in college means connecting on campus—and off.
The first two campaigns that I volunteered for in college shed light on California politics and unique policy procedures. Many hear “campaign” and think only of national, high-profile campaigns, but more local campaigns are such a great way to connect with the community surrounding a college and learn about the city or state. Moreover, most colleges have campus groups for political parties as well as specific issues or even timely campaigns, making political participation another method of getting involved on campus. Interested in a campaign that lacks a campus group? Start one!

So there you have it, my political nerd’s soapbox speech for getting political. But honestly, watching a certain primary’s results on Tuesday made me so proud that I volunteered for it during its earliest days last summer. It was so worth the hundreds of cold calls and collating for hours. So very, very worth it.

They say that religion is one of those things that you’re never supposed to discuss–but I think that college involves a great deal of challenges and changes that are tricky topics, including religion. In my case, my father is Jewish and my mother is Christian (Presbyterian to be specific). Yes, I get to receive and give presents on both Christmas and Chanukah, thanks. Neither of my parents being particularly religious, they decided to raise me celebrating both religions’ holidays but not immerse me in either one. I was not baptized or Bat Mitzvahed and I never attended any kind of religious schooling. They wanted me to be aware of both sides of my religious heritage, but in some ways the effort to do both had a bit of a neutralizing effect and, growing up, I hardly knew anything about either religion.

I’m honestly not entirely sure when I became interested in exploring both halves of my religious background. I can’t identify a key moment or event that pushed me in that direction, but around the beginning of my second year at Oxy, I made a conscious decision to explore the Jewish and Christian faiths through student groups on campus. I already knew a girl involved in the campus Hillel and I asked her to tell me more about their activities and how to get involved. The Christian side was a little trickier because more than one group existed on campus and I did not know anyone involved with the one that fit best with my existing beliefs, a club called Progressive Christians United. I found out when they met and just showed up to their next meeting. I attended PCU meetings regularly for a few months and spent a great deal of time with the Hillel students.

My original point of contact in Hillel became a good friend and I enjoyed their weekly dinners on campus and learning more about Judaism—particularly Reform Judaism—from the Rabbinical advisor and another student who was a Religious Studies major and extremely knowledgeable on the topic. At first I treated both new endeavors like an academic class: I asked a lot of questions and scribbled down notes to Google later. I fixated on the question that had emerged: Which one am I? I felt immense pressure to choose one religion. I think that this came partly from a desire for simplicity and partly from a broader change that I was experiencing at this point in my life and in college. I genuinely enjoyed spending time with both groups, especially as PCU worked on a project related to Darfur and Hillel prepared to attend a conference in Washington, D.C. I was also breaking apart from my original group of friends from my first year and figuring out my course of study. The ready-made bonds in both of these groups were extremely appealing to me. I fit in more with my Hillel friends but maintained an interest in learning about both religions—for a while, anyway.

Four or five months after my initial leap of faith, so to speak, I started to feel a little drained by the whole process. I fit in better with my Hillel friends and thus spent more time with them, but I no longer felt as intrigued by the religious basis of either association. Exploring my dual background started to feel too much like homework and I grew resistant; I stopped attending PCU meetings and preferred to see some of my Hillel friends outside of that particular context instead. By the end of sophomore year, I no longer attended any kind of religious meeting or event.

This sounds kind of depressing on paper, but it really wasn’t. When I first got involved with both groups, I made that choice. And when I phased myself out of them, I made that choice as well. I needed to see what was available to me after years of curiosity. I learned that I can be spiritual without subscribing to organized religion. I learned that I can be friends with those who are more religiously observant than I am—that first Hillel friend remains a close friend, for which I am very grateful. I learned that even though I look at this phase as a significant experience in my overall undergraduate education, it’s also an aspect of my life that continues to evolve today.

Were/are you involved in religious groups in college? What’s available at your school? Is there anything you would change about your involvement (or lack thereof) in religious organizations on campus?

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 these young athletes viewed the NBA as a financial security blanket, Stern believed that something had to change. Even the past successes of current Boston Celtics star Kevin Garnett and Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, who both made the leap from high school to the NBA in 1995 and 1996 respectively, could not sway Stern from establishing new NBA eligibility rules.

Basically, Stern’s new rules stated that players must be 19 years of age and one year removed from high school before they could be eligible to play with the Pros. And so began a trend of players (see Kevin Durant, Greg Oden, Derrick Rose, etc…) who were labeled “One-and-Dones.”

This title was handed to players who otherwise would have made themselves eligible for the NBA draft after their graduation from high school, and instead were required to play one year of college ball.

However, this trend might reverse. One impetus is the possibility of an NBA lock out next season (translation: We can’t watch basketball on television as the players go on strike). As result, first year college players would be incentivized to stick around for another year or so, taking classes toward the completion of a degree.

Additionally, the NCAA is mulling over the idea of expanding March Madness from 64 teams to 96, that’s right, 96 teams. And while this decision certainly impacts the class time college athletes will miss while on the road to the Final Four, such a decision may persuade many first-year players who would otherwise depart for the grand life in the NBA, to play for all four eligible years.

Think about it: A 96 team tournament would make some student athletes believe that their team has a chance to compete for the NCAA championship during their four years of school. Why leave for the NBA when the probability for glory in the collegiate game is greater?

So, to those Parade All-American and other highly-touted, soon-to-be graduating high school b-ball student-athletes: Please consider your college careers beyond one season. And if you are looking for more reasons to do so, please read any of these BG articles.