Creative Cuts

We all know the economy doesn't look pretty, and that budget cuts are being made everywhere.  However, some of the most creative cuts are coming from colleges.  Public universities are not immune to budget woes, and they are definitely being hit pretty hard.  One way that colleges are getting creative with their spending is cutting lesser used or less important items from their budgets.  While these cuts don't make a huge impact by saving millions, they do help the colleges spend less on what's less important and more on the necessities.

How have you gotten creative in hard woeful economic times?

Foreign Language 101

The United States' college system has always attracted students from countries far and wide.  However, it seems this trend may be on the downfall especially among Indonesian students.  Foreign students are increasingly afraid to venture to the U.S. for college because we live in a post 9-11 world, plus the rising cost and distance from home don't help.  This has sparked an increase in recruitment of these foreign students by our government and agencies.  They lure students in by promising them a visa as long as they are enrolled in school here, and they get the benefit of one of the best educations money can buy.

I think this is a great goal that President Obama has set.  Education is a good thing, and America's collegiate education system is superb.  We should be sharing our success with other people, and hoping that they in turn use their education to do good within their own home countries or within ours.

On Loan

Student loans.  Two of the most dreaded words among college students and college graduates.  The cost of college is high these days, and only getting higher.  Even with scholarships, students and families oftentimes still don't have enough money to pay for tuition, books, housing, food, etc.  This results in student loans, which start to stack up quickly.  More colleges are starting to realize the burden of these loans, and are offering help to students for paying back these loans.  These colleges are especially focused on helping students in majors that benefit society, but will result in low salaries.

I'm impressed with the colleges that have these programs.  I personally have a pretty large sum of student loans, and am worried about repaying them.  My dad is a single parent, and even with all my academic scholarships, there is still not enough money.  On top of that, I'm studying journalism, which is not a high-pay career starting out.  Kudos to universities for encouraging students to pursue their passions without having to worry about how exactly they can afford to get ahead.

Class Nap

I'll be the first to admit it, college students don't always get enough sleep.  There is so much to do throughout the day, that students often forgo a few hours sleep to get everything done.  Sometimes the fact that there is too much to do is the students fault due to procrastination, but sometimes it is just college.  No matter the reason, getting too little sleep leads to lowered academic performance.  The solution?  Mandatory naps.  Studies have repeatedly shown that 20-30 minute naps during certain times of the day can lead to increased productivity and success.  This is one "class" option that I know I can support!

Bubble Burst

We all know that the housing market is down, but now there are rumors that the college market may face this same fate with it's overpriced costs and students who are piling up to their noses in debt.  This article argues, however, that these two loans and debt are not the same thing, and that college degrees are a bit more sturdier.

What's your opinion on the matter?  Are colleges really about to burst from financial pressure?

iCollege

Colleges have started embracing Apple's iTechnology a little bit more recently.  Some schools are developing apps and mobile content for students to view their course material, grades, discussions, etc. from their iPhones and iPods.

Honestly, I'm surprised these steps are just now being taken.  I thought most colleges by now would have something like these types of technology being described.  While I know that many colleges have apps for their campus maps or for incoming students and the application process, I'm glad to see they are also starting to be concerned with the students who are already paying the big bucks.  Schools need to start developing these technologies because they will be and are what students are going to expect moving forward.

Native Tongue

Foreign language is a common requirement for students in high school, college and even some elementary grades.  While research shows that people best learn languages when they are young, colleges are trying to combat the struggle for students to learn another language by creating immersion programs.  Many colleges are devoting certain residence halls to specific languages.

I think this is a great idea, and I know the University of Georgia has a program like this.  The best way to a learn a language is to use it, and if students are living in situations where they must use the language all of the time, then they will be more likely to learn.  They will also learn a practical application of the language, which is hard to recreate in a classroom.  This type of program is a great substitute for or addition to study abroad programs.

The ABCs of Education

I found three stories today, each dealing primarily with a different level of education.

Elementary Nutrition:  School lunches are notoriously "interesting".  Some schools lunches seem more nutritious and appealing than others, but some school districts are pushing to make buying lunch at school the only option.  These districts argue that lunches brought from home contain too much "junk" food.  The problem is that lunches from home are often more nutritious and more appealing for the kids.  Forcing kids to eat school provided lunches is not necessarily a good fix because some students just may not eat or the lunches themselves may not actually be that healthy.  Plus, if you require that students buy their lunch, I believe that the lunches need to be free since students will have no other option, and families may not have the money to foot the bill.

High School Days:  Evidence has shown that teenagers need to sleep more, and need to sleep later in the day.  But, most high schools don't respect these needs forcing these grumpy teens to get out of bed at early hours, which is actually bad for them.  Some schools are even debating start their school days even earlier, but at what cost to students learning and well-being?

Cost of College:  Business Week just released their list of best return on investment schools by state plus the runner-ups for each state.  How does your school stack up?

As usual, feel free to comment on any of today's articles.

Rock N Roll 101

Colleges are constantly seeking out new ways to engage students in the classroom.

College is supposed to be a time for students to further knowledge and explore areas of interest to them, but students are paying good money, so they also have high expectations for their classes.  It seems that most classes are the same old lecture and note-taking courses.  So, when I stumble upon a course that tries to actively engage me, I tend to actually be more excited about learning.

Colleges have picked up on this, and are encouraging professors to do something different in the classroom, sometimes even hiring staff from outside the world of academia.

It seems a new trend is for former musicians to help teach music and music business classes.  I know that UGA has some former music artists as professors in their music business programs, and I've heard these students really gain something from these classes.

What other types of professors have you had or heard about?  What have your professors done to engage you in the learning process?

Drinking + Studying = Failing

A new study confirms the hypothesis that drinking does have an affect on student's grades.  The study was conducted because of the lack of previous studies done on this topic.  Other studies have simply focused on how social media or other distractions affect students grades, but this recent study shows that alcohol is actually worse for grades than any other distraction.

This study doesn't mean that students should give up drinking altogether; the study also found that most students that perform poorly, don't in fact know how to study properly.  However, students should loosen up on the booze intake if they want to see an improvement in their grades or study habits.

All Aboard

Study abroad programs have been rising in popularity in colleges and universities around the country.  and why not?  Study abroad allows students to take classes and explore other cultures for as little as one week to a whole year.  This is an amazing opportunity to enrich and enhance the education of young college students.  Even more, the best time for people to travel is when they're young, full of energy and not tied down to many commitments.  I personally wish I could afford to study abroad because everyone that I know that has done a program absolutely loved it and I think it would be a great experience.

However, in light of the recent events around the globe, many universities are starting to rethink their study abroad programs.  Safety has become an issue in countries such as Egypt and Japan, and many parents worry about their children who are there.

I personally think these programs need to continue, natural disasters and political overthrows are part of life.  Yes, they may not be as big a part of life in the United States, but these things do exist and can occur anywhere.  Students are only expanding their horizons and education even more by witnessing these events first hand.  I understand that safety is an issue, and certainly I don't say we should risk lives or force students to stay, but I think they should be given the option to continue with their programs if possible.  And, colleges should not just cut these programs because of what is happening in these countries because if they do, students will be missing out on amazing opportunities to expand their horizon.

Vote Your Voice

An article in The Washington Post this week talks about several states looking to ban college students from voting in the towns where their colleges are located.  Arguments include that students are naive and foolish, and that they are diluting the votes of taxpayers within those cities.  However, students would be allowed to vote in local elections of their home towns.

This argument seems a bit off to me.  If college students are so foolish and naive, shouldn't they not be allowed to vote anywhere.  No matter where they vote, they would still be diluting taxpayers votes.  Not to mention the fact that not all college students aren't the same.  Some students are coming back to college and most have to work in addition to attending school, which would make them taxpayers as well.  Additionally, just because students are going to college doesn't mean they are automatically as liberal as proponents of these reforms claim.  The fact that these students are in college also makes them a lot less clueless than a portion of the population, who are not college educated.

I agree that, yes, not all college students are the brightest, and yes we can be a bit foolish at times.  But, we are just young adults and we are going through the learning process of growing up.

This doesn't mean however, that we should be excluded from voting in our college towns or any town for that matter.  The law and federal policy have given us the right to vote at age 18, and this right should be upheld, just as it would be for any voting adult.

HOPEless?

The governor of Georgia announced his new plan for the HOPE scholarship and Pre-K funding this morning.

Until now, the state funded the full tuition plus a book and mandatory fees stipend at all GA public universities for all seniors who graduated a high school in GA with a 3.0 average, and who maintained this average throughout college.  Additionally, the state funded a free Pre-K program for families.

The new plan calls for students to only earn full tuition if they have above a 3.7 GPA, and up to 90% covered if they have a 3.0 GPA.  Additionally, no book or mandatory fees will be distributed.  As for Pre-K, the length of the school day has been reduced to cut costs.

I think the new plan is actually decent considering the recent budget cuts.  Students who are excelling academically and take rigorous courses will still have the opportunity to attend college in-state for free or almost free.  This is a great reward for hard work, and an even better incentive to keep our students in state universities.  Additionally, as the article mentions, with the cuts to the length in the Pre-K school day, there will be more opportuntities for families to enroll in the program, which will give education to more children who need it.  Teaching children early on is the best way to set them up for a better future, so this plan is actually our benefit.

While I still have some questions about what this means for current high school and college students as well as other concerns, overall, this plan is a winner in my book.

What are your opinions on Deal's new plan?

Playoffs

  There is an age old debate about whether college football should continue with the Bowl Championship Series or start a new tradition of playoffs games.  Playoffs are found in virtually every other college and professional sport around the world, but not college football.  Both have their pros and cons, but ultimately I believe that there should be a playoff system.  Teams from different divisions play different difficulties of schedules, so it is not necessarily fair to say an undefeated team with an easier schedule is better than a two loss team from a tougher division.  Playoffs would allow for the team who has the better talent to win.

College Funding

Many students can't afford college.  That's one of the top reasons why they don't go to college.  Thankfully, the government has financial support systems for these students such as the Pell Grant.  But, with this grant and many other programs on the budget chopping block, I have to wonder how we're going to educate our children in the future?  College is expensive, and is getting more expensive by the minute.  Some states have state-funding for students who meet a minimum GPA and attend a state school, but even these programs are starting to get slashed.  So, that leaves us with a problem.  If students can't get funding, but are eligible and want to go to college, how can they go?  Student loans are an option, but they also have to be repaid.  Even though students should be able to get a better, higher-paying jobs after graudating college, loans are still hard to pay off with a typical entry-level salary.  Plus, with a high unemployment rate, jobs are harder to come by these days.  Thats why these federal funding programs are the key to our future.  It's all about opportunity costs.  The cost of not educating students who would excel with a college education is high compared to the cost of funding their education, so that they can go on to change the world.

The Education Gap

The New York Times had another thought provoking article on education today.  I took a class on the Sociology of Education last fall, and as someone who has grown up with an educator and actively volunteers with children all the time, I find America's education system fascinating.

The Education Gap is a real problem.  Students cannot be expected to achieve on the same level if they are not given the same amount of opportunities and resources.  Some students have college-educated or higher parents who are devoted to seeing their children succeed, and have the time and money to devote to this.  However, a majority of children come from households where their parents haven't gone to college or even graduated high school, they work all day to give their children the basics and English isn't necessarily their primary language.  This isn't the parents fault like many people like to claim.  The parents are trying the hardest using the resources and experiences they have, but it's nearly impossible to catch up in today's world.  So, while it would be great for all children to be treated equally, the reality is that some students will need the extra help and will need the extra resources if we ever want this "Education Gap" to start shrinking.

College Stress

This article in the New York Times sites a recent study that concluded college freshman stress levels are on the rise.  These findings come of no surprise to a college student like myself.  In today's world, students are pressured to do and achieve more.  I may only spend 12 hours in the classroom a week, but I spend countless hours reading, studying, writing, etc for these same classes.  In addition to that, I must also be applying my skills in the real world through internships or other activities.  Add in the fact that I'm now a senior in college, and you've got a serious internship/job hunt process going on as well.  All of this in consideration with the way our economy is going, it's not a wonder that more students aren't going crazy.

So, how do students keep themselves from going over the edge?  For some, this means partying every night or on the weekends.  For others, they try to ignore the stress of college all together; they do the bare minimum to get by and graduate.  Myself, I make sure I build in some free-time in my day and get plenty of sleep at night.  I go to the gym, watch a silly TV show, read a book for fun, do something I enjoy, talk with friends, etc.  I also make sure I get to bed at a reasonable hour, staying up all night to cram won't do anyone any good.  It's essential that your day doesn't become consumed entirely by work; even though you may feel the need to work around the clock, taking a break every once and awhile will be more beneficial in the long run.

My question for you: how do you de-stress your life?