College Q&A: Why Learn A New Language?

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.

College Textbook Rentals (Pro)

This article is part of a counterpoint series between Keith Kaplan of BookRenter.com and Matt Gagnon of the BetterGrads social media team. Check back for Matt’s response to Keith’s support for renting college textbooks! When it comes time to buy textbooks for your class, we all know it can empty your wallet. Every year when I start classes it always seems like I’m throwing a few hundred dollars in one click of a button. I’ve always thought: Why buy a textbook for $200+ when you’re probably going to return it at the end of the semester for less than half the price? Most times, bookstores and online stores won’t buy back a book because it’s an outdated edition. How do we stop this phenomenon? Well, you may have heard of textbook rentals. Within the past few years, textbook rentals have sky rocketed. Instead of buying your textbooks, you rent and [...]

Scholarship Stories: Keep Applying, Even After You’re Already in College

There’s a lot of emphasis on applying for college scholarships before you head off to college, and that’s certainly important. But did you know there are plenty of scholarships available to students who are already a few semesters in to their college experience? In fact, you may not even be eligible for certain institutional scholarships until you can demonstrate that you’ve maintained a certain GPA for two consecutive semesters at your university. The first scholarship I ever received was the Associated Student Government (ASG) Scholarship from Texas State University, San Marcos. It was a total fluke that I found out about it, too. Up until my junior year, I never lived in the dorms. Instead, I commuted an hour to and from school and worked every other day in a different city, so I didn’t have much time to get involved with anything on campus. But around my junior year, [...]

Making the Most of College: Part 1 - Join a Club

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.

Why Do We Go To College?

I want you to ask yourself a question. What does it mean to you to have a college degree? Some may say that it means they will have a better job or that they will be making more money. Others simply go because it was what was expected of them. Maybe to even attend the same school their elders did to keep with traditions. But genuinely, deep down, what will having a college degree mean for you and your life? Having a college degree does not guarantee a job, nor good pay. Especially not in this day and age, during which applicants are removing their well-deserved master’s degrees from their resumes to obtain entry-level positions. If this is what the economic downfall of the decade has in store, what is really the value? The truth is, I am writing an essay for a college course, and I came across an [...]

College in the UK, Part 5 — “When a Man is Tired of London…”

Coming to London from rural Yorkshire (think Wuthering Heights) could be perceived as being as big a step as coming over to Britain to study for an undergraduate degree. However, I would definitely say it’s worth the effort as London is a fantastic city and UCL is a fantastic university.

College in the UK, Part 4 — Exploring Your Options

My experience of studying History at university has involved hours of lectures and seminars, whole days in the library, whole nights of ‘social life’, dozens of friendships, and thousands of words of writing – and it’s not even finished yet. So, for that reason, having been asked to write a little bit about my experience of History at UCL I really don’t know where to start.

College in the UK, Part 3 — Digging It

I am a third year student, studying for a BA in Ancient History with Egyptology. My degree is a joint between the Departments of History and Archaeology, meaning that I get to study the past both from the physical remains and from the written evidence. I really enjoy this combined approach; it brings the past alive and has given me a new perspective on the usages and limitations of both types of sources. It also means I have more varied courses and assignments; archaeology courses usually involve several trips to museums and tend to be examined primarily by coursework, and, as well as writing essays, we have to produce reviews of museum displays and interpretations of artefacts, whereas my history courses involve a mixture of essay writing and exams.

College in the UK, Part 2 — Picking Between the US and the UK for Uni

I applied to the V100 History program at University College London in March 2006. As a dual national (US/UK) I seriously considered attending college in the States, which my parents had done, however, I ultimately chose to stay in London as the tuition fees are much cheaper so where better than UCL which consistently makes the top 5 in national and international rankings of the best universities.

College in the UK, Part 1 — A First Degree in History at UCL

A History Degree at UCL would suit high-achieving students who already know that they want to concentrate on History and feel that the broad distribution requirements normal at US universities and colleges do not fit their personal intellectual profile (just as the heavy advanced specialisation of the English system does fit students who are primarily all-rounders).