NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- America could be facing a nursing shortage that will worsen exponentially as the population grows older.
The problem: Baby boomers are getting older and will require more care than ever, taxing an already strained nursing system.
An instructor leads a class at New York University's College of Nursing.
America has had a nursing shortage for years, said Peter Buerhaus, workforce analyst at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in Nashville, Tenn. But by 2025, the country will be facing a shortfall of 260,000 RNs, he said.
"In a few short years, just under four out of 10 nurses will be over the age of 50," said Buerhaus. "They'll be retiring out in a decade. And we're not replacing these nurses even as the demand for them will be growing."
That's because nursing schools are already maxed out.
"We've got to find another portal to bring nurses into the profession," said Claire Zangerle, chief executive of the Visiting Nurse Association of Ohio and former chief nursing officer at the Cleveland Clinic. "We don't have enough nursing instructors, so therefore the capacity of nursing schools is very limited."
The nursing profession has benefited from the recession, which has prompted new nurses to sign up for school and older nurses to postpone retirement, Buerhaus said.
Some 243,000 registered nurses entered or re-entered the profession during the recession that began in 2007, he said, including many who were forced out of retirement by financial difficulties.
But as the economy improves that kind of growth is unlikely to continue. And experts stress that there will be a nursing shortage even if every nursing school is at capacity.
A lack of teaching staff is the biggest hurdle to minting new RNs, according to Cheryl Peterson, director of nursing practice and policy for the American Nurses Association
"The problem on the supply side is that our current nursing education capacity is at its limit," she said. "[Nursing schools] are pumping out about as many as they can."
Dr. Mary O'Neil Mundinger, the dean of Columbia University Nursing School in New York, said the number of applicants jumped 20% this year to about 400. She said the roster includes professionals seeking a career switch from Wall Street, law and even the opera.
"Making choices between these extremely well qualified applicants is really daunting," she said, noting that the school has capacity for only half the applicants.
Indeed, Claire Zangerle from the Visiting Nurse Association of Ohio said her niece spent two years on a waiting list before getting accepted into a nursing school.
It's hard to recruit and retain nursing instructors when they can usually make more money working in a hospital.
The average starting pay for an RN is about $56,000, according to the American Nurses Association. Mundinger said that the most ambitious graduates can earn as much as $90,000 if they're willing to work long hours, including weekends and night shifts, in busy metropolitan hospitals.
"They need to pay nursing faculty a wage that is attractive enough," said Peterson of the ANA, "You have nurses working in hospital units who are making more than the nurses in education."
Barry Pactor, international director of global healthcare for consulting company HCL International, agrees that more nurses should be trained within the U.S. system. But as a short term solution for this "huge shortage," he said the U.S. government should loosen immigration restrictions on foreign health care workers.
"I don't see this as foreign nurses taking American jobs, because these are vacancies that already exist and cannot be [filled] by nurses currently in training," he said. "We'd be filling in the gaps until the training can catch up with the demand."
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Too Fat to Graduate
CNN) -- Most college students expect to receive their diplomas on the basis of grades, but at a Pennsylvania school, physical fitness matters too.
Students at Lincoln University with a body mass index of 30 or above, reflective of obesity, must take a fitness course that meets three hours per week. Those who are assigned to the class but do not complete it cannot graduate.
Calculate your body mass index
Now that the first class to have this requirement imposed is nearing graduation day -- students who entered in the fall of 2006 -- the school faces criticism from both students and outsiders about the fitness class policy.
One of those students is Tiana Lawson, 21, whose recent editorial in the student paper has drawn national attention to the issue. Lawson wrote in The Lincolnian that she would be more understanding if the requirement applied to everyone. She thinks all students, not just those with a high BMI, should have to take the class.
Video: Mandatory fitness class
RELATED TOPICS
Colleges and Universities
African-American Issues
Obesity
"I didn't come to Lincoln to be told that my weight is not in an acceptable range," Lawson wrote. "I came here to get an education which, as a three-time honor student, is something I have been doing quite well, despite the fact that I have a slightly high Body Mass Index."
Lawson, who told CNN she had been putting off getting her BMI tested until this year, recently found out she would have to take the class. At first angry, Lawson said she is now more "confused" about the requirement.
"I don't know why they would want some people to be more healthy than others," she said.
But James DeBoy, chairman of the school's Department of Health and Physical Education, says the requirement is just like courses to help students' communications or math proficiency. The faculty also has a priority to be honest with students, he said.
"We, as educators, must tell students when we believe, in our heart of hearts, when certain factors, certain behaviors, attitudes, whatever, are going to hinder that student from achieving and maximizing their life goals," he said.
Moreover, if there were unlimited resources, the fitness opportunities would be for all students, but that is not the reality, he said.
The historically black college receives public funding, but is under independent control.
Obesity increases a person's risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, some cancers and other ailments. African-Americans were 1.4 times as likely to be obese as non-Hispanic whites in 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. About four out of five African-American women are overweight or obese, the agency said.
"Obesity is going to rob you of your quality and quantity of life," DeBoy said. "We believe that this is unconscionable."
The fitness course, called "Fitness for Life," consists of activities including water aerobics, Tai Bo and aerobic dance, he said.
Because BMI is not a perfect measure of obesity, students also have their waist circumference measured, he said. There are some people who have a high BMI because of their muscle mass, but are not actually obese, and the waist measurement is meant to weed out those people.
From a legal perspective, the school's requirement seems "paternalistic" and "intrusive," said David Kairys, professor of law at Temple University Law School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
"The part that seems excessive is forcing them to take this course, or to exercise three hours a week, which isn't a bad idea for them, but should be their choice," he said.
Lincoln is "breaking new ground" with this requirement, as Kairys has not heard of one like it at other schools.
Some students, such as Brittnai Panton, a 19-year-old freshman from Decatur, Georgia, like the requirement. She tested out of having to take the class, but supports having it around.
"Being in this day and age where people are becoming overweight and need more fitness, I think it's a great idea to earn extra credit, an easy extra credit," she said.
Many of her classmates don't find it offensive, she said.
"It is like you're getting a second chance to actually do fitness in school, which certain people wouldn't do," she said. "Many of them find it an easy credit."
DeBoy said 620 students have either tested out or taken the course, with 80 remaining to get their BMI evaluated. He estimates 12 to 15 will need to take the fitness class in January.
When the faculty first approved the fitness course requirement in 2006, there were minimal concerns raised, he said. The intention is to spread the message that people in school, including high school and middle school, need more physical activity.
"This is one university's -- granted it's radical and it's upsetting -- approach to try to begin to directly address" obesity, he said.
Students at Lincoln University with a body mass index of 30 or above, reflective of obesity, must take a fitness course that meets three hours per week. Those who are assigned to the class but do not complete it cannot graduate.
Calculate your body mass index
Now that the first class to have this requirement imposed is nearing graduation day -- students who entered in the fall of 2006 -- the school faces criticism from both students and outsiders about the fitness class policy.
One of those students is Tiana Lawson, 21, whose recent editorial in the student paper has drawn national attention to the issue. Lawson wrote in The Lincolnian that she would be more understanding if the requirement applied to everyone. She thinks all students, not just those with a high BMI, should have to take the class.
Video: Mandatory fitness class
RELATED TOPICS
Colleges and Universities
African-American Issues
Obesity
"I didn't come to Lincoln to be told that my weight is not in an acceptable range," Lawson wrote. "I came here to get an education which, as a three-time honor student, is something I have been doing quite well, despite the fact that I have a slightly high Body Mass Index."
Lawson, who told CNN she had been putting off getting her BMI tested until this year, recently found out she would have to take the class. At first angry, Lawson said she is now more "confused" about the requirement.
"I don't know why they would want some people to be more healthy than others," she said.
But James DeBoy, chairman of the school's Department of Health and Physical Education, says the requirement is just like courses to help students' communications or math proficiency. The faculty also has a priority to be honest with students, he said.
"We, as educators, must tell students when we believe, in our heart of hearts, when certain factors, certain behaviors, attitudes, whatever, are going to hinder that student from achieving and maximizing their life goals," he said.
Moreover, if there were unlimited resources, the fitness opportunities would be for all students, but that is not the reality, he said.
The historically black college receives public funding, but is under independent control.
Obesity increases a person's risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, some cancers and other ailments. African-Americans were 1.4 times as likely to be obese as non-Hispanic whites in 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. About four out of five African-American women are overweight or obese, the agency said.
"Obesity is going to rob you of your quality and quantity of life," DeBoy said. "We believe that this is unconscionable."
The fitness course, called "Fitness for Life," consists of activities including water aerobics, Tai Bo and aerobic dance, he said.
Because BMI is not a perfect measure of obesity, students also have their waist circumference measured, he said. There are some people who have a high BMI because of their muscle mass, but are not actually obese, and the waist measurement is meant to weed out those people.
From a legal perspective, the school's requirement seems "paternalistic" and "intrusive," said David Kairys, professor of law at Temple University Law School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
"The part that seems excessive is forcing them to take this course, or to exercise three hours a week, which isn't a bad idea for them, but should be their choice," he said.
Lincoln is "breaking new ground" with this requirement, as Kairys has not heard of one like it at other schools.
Some students, such as Brittnai Panton, a 19-year-old freshman from Decatur, Georgia, like the requirement. She tested out of having to take the class, but supports having it around.
"Being in this day and age where people are becoming overweight and need more fitness, I think it's a great idea to earn extra credit, an easy extra credit," she said.
Many of her classmates don't find it offensive, she said.
"It is like you're getting a second chance to actually do fitness in school, which certain people wouldn't do," she said. "Many of them find it an easy credit."
DeBoy said 620 students have either tested out or taken the course, with 80 remaining to get their BMI evaluated. He estimates 12 to 15 will need to take the fitness class in January.
When the faculty first approved the fitness course requirement in 2006, there were minimal concerns raised, he said. The intention is to spread the message that people in school, including high school and middle school, need more physical activity.
"This is one university's -- granted it's radical and it's upsetting -- approach to try to begin to directly address" obesity, he said.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
For Profit Colleges Making Major $$
RALEIGH, N.C. (Nov. 29) -- Students aren't the only ones benefiting from the billions of new dollars Washington is spending on college aid for the poor.
An Associated Press analysis shows surging proportions of both low-income students and the recently boosted government money that follows them are ending up at for-profit schools, from local career colleges to giant publicly traded chains such as the University of Phoenix, Kaplan, ATI and DeVry.
Last year, the five institutions that received the most federal Pell Grant dollars were all for-profit colleges, collecting more than $1 billion among them. That was two and a half times what those schools hauled in just two years prior, the AP found, analyzing Department of Education data on disbursements from the Pell program, Washington's main form of college aid to the poor.
This year, the trend is accelerating: In the first quarter after the maximum Pell Grant was increased last July 1, Washington paid out 45 percent more through the program than during the same period a year ago, the AP found. But the amount of dollars heading to for-profit, or "proprietary," schools is up even more — about 67 percent.
For-profit colleges say the country has little choice but to accept their help to achieve President Obama's goal of getting every American to enroll in some form of education beyond high school. The for-profit schools have space while community colleges are bursting at the seams. Besides, their convenience and career-focused curriculum are clearly winning customers, who are free to use their aid where they choose.
But critics say the increased federal aid has unleashed a new gold rush. They complain the industry has too many incentives simply to enroll students and tap the spigot from Washington — and not enough to make sure students succeed.
The industry is "an aggressive sales operation that has a voracious appetite for recruiting the poorest students," said Barmak Nassirian, associate executive director of AACRAO, a group representing admissions officers and registrars at traditional colleges. "The victims here are the students themselves and the taxpayers, who have to pick up the tab."
Regardless of how AP's findings are interpreted, they underscore the extent to which the United States has ramped up its support for low-income college students in recent years, but increasingly outsourced the job to the private sector.
— Last year, Washington paid out a record $18.3 billion in Pell Grants, which typically go to families earning under $40,000. Proprietary colleges collected about $4.3 billion of that, or about 24 percent — roughly double the proportion a decade ago.
— In the first quarter of the current academic year, for-profit colleges collected $1.65 billion, or 67 percent more than in the same period a year ago. On July 1, the government made more students eligible for Pell grants and increased the maximum award by $600 to $5,350.
— For-profits are also grabbing a growing share of loans subsidized by the government to help low-income students. They collected about $7 billion in subsidized Stafford loans in 2008-2009, compared to $4.7 billion two years before. Taxpayers subsidize the interest rate and take the hit when students default. Nearly one-quarter of students at for-profit schools default within four years, more that double the rate of other schools.
Overall, the sector enrolled about 2.7 million students in 2007-2008, the latest year with complete federal data available. That was only about 10 percent of total enrollment in higher education, but it's about 2 million more than a decade before.
The numbers are even more striking for low-income students: The number of Pell recipients enrolled in for-profit schools is 50 percent more than two years ago.
Phoenix alone had more than 230,000 Pell recipients last year (and received $657 million Pell dollars, roughly its parent company's yearly profit). Its campuses educate nearly four times more low-income students than the entire Big 10, and more than 30 times the Ivy League, the AP found. Unlike proprietary schools, those traditional colleges enjoy tax-free status for supposedly providing a public service, notes Harris Miller, president and CEO of the Career College Association.
On a recent weeknight at a University of Phoenix branch in Raleigh, students began streaming in during early evening. Virtually all work full time. Many were older than traditional college students and many were minorities. The "campus" is a suburban office building off a highway interchange. Inside, the feel is thoroughly corporate — computer work stations, sleek desks, wired classrooms with whiteboards.
Aja Holmes, a 28-year-old single mother of two, dropped out of nearby North Carolina State University after having her first child a decade ago. Now she's hoping to complete a degree and move up in the pharmaceutical company where she works. She's paying her tuition with a Pell Grant, government loans and employer support. The big draw is convenience.
"I can work full time and still spend time with my kids," she said. "I can do my homework at night. All my books are online, so I can take my laptop anywhere and read. The program has been good for me."
Critics acknowledge for-profit schools can be a good match for some. But they point out median graduation rates of just 38 percent (for-profit colleges counter they're taking on less well prepared kids, and say they actually do much better than community colleges with two-year programs).
Students who don't graduate will be hard pressed to repay their debts. On average, for-profit schools cost five and a half times the price of community colleges. Virtually all students must borrow some money, and even among graduates of for-profit four-year programs, the average borrower ends up owing $33,000, according to the latest government data analyzed by Mark Kantrowitz of the Web site finaid.org. That's about $5,000 more than even private nonprofit four-year colleges.
The sector also can't seem to shake recurring allegations it's accepting underqualified students just to secure their federal aid, dooming them to failure. Phoenix has set aside $80.5 million to cover a possible settlement of a whistleblower lawsuit alleging it illegally compensated recruiters based on how many students they enrolled. Other complaints include a lawsuit against privately held Westwood College of Colorado alleging students were misled about fees and tricked into signing high-interest loans. Westwood denies the allegations.
Nassirian and others want students to get more reliable data on outcomes, and not just what they hear from slick TV ads. Apollo Group Inc., which owns the University of Phoenix, spent close to $1 billion on selling and promotional costs last year.
In the late 1980s, the proportion of Pell dollars going to for-profits was similar to now. But a regulation now called the "90-10" rule, which requires colleges to collect at least 10 percent of their revenue from nongovernment sources, drove hundreds of shady operations under and lowered the proportion.
Now, that number is back up — so much, in fact, that companies such as Apollo are worried about bumping up against the 90-10 rule. Government dollars accounted for 86 percent of Phoenix's revenue last year, compared with less than half as recently as 2001.
Most critics insist they don't oppose the principle of for-profit higher education. But they say the sector has been mollycoddled by friendly lawmakers, who have watered down the 90-10 rule. They want the loopholes closed.
The federal government has taken steps to help students make more informed choices, said Deputy Undersecretary of Education Robert Shireman. Last August, students completing federal financial aid forms began receiving graduation and transfer rate data on the schools they are considering. By next July, every school will have to provide at least general information on job placement.
"Our primary concern is that consumers and students are served well," he said. But, he added, "this is a consumer choice system. If people who are eligible for federal financial aid choose one school over another, that is their choice."
Neutral experts say the United States will indeed have to tap the for-profit sector if it's to meet the president's goals.
"As we see these cutbacks across the country, we really do need the capacity this sector represents," said Patrick Callan, president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.
But, he added: "Somebody ought to be paying attention to it, that's for damn sure."
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
An Associated Press analysis shows surging proportions of both low-income students and the recently boosted government money that follows them are ending up at for-profit schools, from local career colleges to giant publicly traded chains such as the University of Phoenix, Kaplan, ATI and DeVry.
Last year, the five institutions that received the most federal Pell Grant dollars were all for-profit colleges, collecting more than $1 billion among them. That was two and a half times what those schools hauled in just two years prior, the AP found, analyzing Department of Education data on disbursements from the Pell program, Washington's main form of college aid to the poor.
This year, the trend is accelerating: In the first quarter after the maximum Pell Grant was increased last July 1, Washington paid out 45 percent more through the program than during the same period a year ago, the AP found. But the amount of dollars heading to for-profit, or "proprietary," schools is up even more — about 67 percent.
For-profit colleges say the country has little choice but to accept their help to achieve President Obama's goal of getting every American to enroll in some form of education beyond high school. The for-profit schools have space while community colleges are bursting at the seams. Besides, their convenience and career-focused curriculum are clearly winning customers, who are free to use their aid where they choose.
But critics say the increased federal aid has unleashed a new gold rush. They complain the industry has too many incentives simply to enroll students and tap the spigot from Washington — and not enough to make sure students succeed.
The industry is "an aggressive sales operation that has a voracious appetite for recruiting the poorest students," said Barmak Nassirian, associate executive director of AACRAO, a group representing admissions officers and registrars at traditional colleges. "The victims here are the students themselves and the taxpayers, who have to pick up the tab."
Regardless of how AP's findings are interpreted, they underscore the extent to which the United States has ramped up its support for low-income college students in recent years, but increasingly outsourced the job to the private sector.
— Last year, Washington paid out a record $18.3 billion in Pell Grants, which typically go to families earning under $40,000. Proprietary colleges collected about $4.3 billion of that, or about 24 percent — roughly double the proportion a decade ago.
— In the first quarter of the current academic year, for-profit colleges collected $1.65 billion, or 67 percent more than in the same period a year ago. On July 1, the government made more students eligible for Pell grants and increased the maximum award by $600 to $5,350.
— For-profits are also grabbing a growing share of loans subsidized by the government to help low-income students. They collected about $7 billion in subsidized Stafford loans in 2008-2009, compared to $4.7 billion two years before. Taxpayers subsidize the interest rate and take the hit when students default. Nearly one-quarter of students at for-profit schools default within four years, more that double the rate of other schools.
Overall, the sector enrolled about 2.7 million students in 2007-2008, the latest year with complete federal data available. That was only about 10 percent of total enrollment in higher education, but it's about 2 million more than a decade before.
The numbers are even more striking for low-income students: The number of Pell recipients enrolled in for-profit schools is 50 percent more than two years ago.
Phoenix alone had more than 230,000 Pell recipients last year (and received $657 million Pell dollars, roughly its parent company's yearly profit). Its campuses educate nearly four times more low-income students than the entire Big 10, and more than 30 times the Ivy League, the AP found. Unlike proprietary schools, those traditional colleges enjoy tax-free status for supposedly providing a public service, notes Harris Miller, president and CEO of the Career College Association.
On a recent weeknight at a University of Phoenix branch in Raleigh, students began streaming in during early evening. Virtually all work full time. Many were older than traditional college students and many were minorities. The "campus" is a suburban office building off a highway interchange. Inside, the feel is thoroughly corporate — computer work stations, sleek desks, wired classrooms with whiteboards.
Aja Holmes, a 28-year-old single mother of two, dropped out of nearby North Carolina State University after having her first child a decade ago. Now she's hoping to complete a degree and move up in the pharmaceutical company where she works. She's paying her tuition with a Pell Grant, government loans and employer support. The big draw is convenience.
"I can work full time and still spend time with my kids," she said. "I can do my homework at night. All my books are online, so I can take my laptop anywhere and read. The program has been good for me."
Critics acknowledge for-profit schools can be a good match for some. But they point out median graduation rates of just 38 percent (for-profit colleges counter they're taking on less well prepared kids, and say they actually do much better than community colleges with two-year programs).
Students who don't graduate will be hard pressed to repay their debts. On average, for-profit schools cost five and a half times the price of community colleges. Virtually all students must borrow some money, and even among graduates of for-profit four-year programs, the average borrower ends up owing $33,000, according to the latest government data analyzed by Mark Kantrowitz of the Web site finaid.org. That's about $5,000 more than even private nonprofit four-year colleges.
The sector also can't seem to shake recurring allegations it's accepting underqualified students just to secure their federal aid, dooming them to failure. Phoenix has set aside $80.5 million to cover a possible settlement of a whistleblower lawsuit alleging it illegally compensated recruiters based on how many students they enrolled. Other complaints include a lawsuit against privately held Westwood College of Colorado alleging students were misled about fees and tricked into signing high-interest loans. Westwood denies the allegations.
Nassirian and others want students to get more reliable data on outcomes, and not just what they hear from slick TV ads. Apollo Group Inc., which owns the University of Phoenix, spent close to $1 billion on selling and promotional costs last year.
In the late 1980s, the proportion of Pell dollars going to for-profits was similar to now. But a regulation now called the "90-10" rule, which requires colleges to collect at least 10 percent of their revenue from nongovernment sources, drove hundreds of shady operations under and lowered the proportion.
Now, that number is back up — so much, in fact, that companies such as Apollo are worried about bumping up against the 90-10 rule. Government dollars accounted for 86 percent of Phoenix's revenue last year, compared with less than half as recently as 2001.
Most critics insist they don't oppose the principle of for-profit higher education. But they say the sector has been mollycoddled by friendly lawmakers, who have watered down the 90-10 rule. They want the loopholes closed.
The federal government has taken steps to help students make more informed choices, said Deputy Undersecretary of Education Robert Shireman. Last August, students completing federal financial aid forms began receiving graduation and transfer rate data on the schools they are considering. By next July, every school will have to provide at least general information on job placement.
"Our primary concern is that consumers and students are served well," he said. But, he added, "this is a consumer choice system. If people who are eligible for federal financial aid choose one school over another, that is their choice."
Neutral experts say the United States will indeed have to tap the for-profit sector if it's to meet the president's goals.
"As we see these cutbacks across the country, we really do need the capacity this sector represents," said Patrick Callan, president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.
But, he added: "Somebody ought to be paying attention to it, that's for damn sure."
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Increase for Early Decision
In 2006, first Harvard University, and then Princeton University and the University of Virginia, announced that they were doing away with early admissions -- as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Delaware had done a few years prior.
At the competitive colleges where early admissions is most often a factor, many that didn't eliminate the practice said that they agreed that too much pressure was associated with early applications, and that it was time to dial it back. Last year, many experts assumed that the economic uncertainty in which families found themselves would discourage early applications and that they might drop. Why commit yourself to a college before knowing what kind of aid package you might land elsewhere? But early decision applications went up at many institutions.
This year, while many colleges are still counting (the deadlines for early admissions vary), all signs point to another year in which more students apply early -- and in which some colleges may increase the share of their class admitted early. The colleges reporting increases include not only some of the most competitive, but some that are a notch or two below in competitiveness.
And those colleges reporting a fall in early applications generally say that they remain well above where they were just a few years ago. (Many public institutions are also reporting increases in the number of applicants who are applying earlier in the year, but formal early programs are not a factor at many of these institutions, which use rolling or other admissions systems that do not require a commitment from applicants.)
Encouraging the trend of more early applications, both college and high school counselors said, was the strategy of many colleges -- even those without early decision -- to encourage students to apply earlier in the year, thus making it more of the norm for high school seniors to be applying in early fall, not in December.
Consider some of these figures so far from institutions whose deadlines for early admissions have passed.
At Duke University, the number of early decision applications is up 32 percent this year. At George Washington University, early applications are up 24 percent (and 70 percent over two years). At Grinnell College, numbers are projected to be up by 10 percent, following a similar increase the year before. Stanford University is up 4 percent. New York University is up 5 percent. Smith College is up 6 percent. Dartmouth College is up 3 percent. Pomona College is up 2 percent.
While Duke's new early application pool tops 2,000, increases are also being seen at institutions with smaller early pools (and total classes). At Lawrence University, the early application total last year at this time was 21, and this year it is double, at 42. Given the number of applications started but not yet completed, and the traditionally high admission rate for early applicants, Lawrence expects to enroll about 50 or so early applicants. That would take the share of the class admitted early from 10.5 percent to 14 or 15 percent.
To be sure, not everyone is up. Haverford and Williams Colleges both expect small declines, although even with those declines they will be above where they were a few years ago. The same is true for Yale University.
In terms of a national picture, data from the Common Application also suggest an increase is in the works. The Common Application reports a 22 percent increase, as of November 1, in the number of early applications (some of them requiring a commitment to enroll and others not). That's 185,460 applications, a figure that will rise as other early deadlines are reached. There has also been an increase in the number of Common Application colleges receiving at least one early application -- to 292 institutions, up from 265 last year.
High schools are also reporting that they are seeing increases. Phillip Trout, college counselor at Minnetonka High School and president-elect of the Minnesota Association for College Admission Counseling, said that he is seeing "brisk business" with early applications this fall, up 12 percent over a year ago, when the numbers ended up 13 percent above the prior year's total. Trout said that while many reasons may be at play (admissions deans generally cite the economy), "mostly it comes back to the pitch being given by colleges." That is simply that students believe that they have better chances of getting in if they apply early.
Of course that may be eroded a bit at some institutions that are seeing the largest increases. Duke has historically admitted about one third of those who apply early (much better odds than for those who apply through the regular process), but officials there expect that the admit rate for early decision this year will drop.
The advantage of early admissions for the applicant is a senior year without as much stress, and many counselors applaud the option for those high schoolers who have a clear sense of direction and who have had time to investigate options. Colleges benefit from binding early admissions programs because they can fill a portion of their classes without worrying about whether admitted applicants will accept the offers. A survey by the National Association for College Admission Counseling found that 30.8 percent of private colleges either admitted more students through early admissions this year or plan to do so next year.
The reason some are holding back on doing so is largely concern about the impact on low-income students. One of the criticisms of early admissions programs over the years is that wealthier students are more likely to use them because they are more likely to attend high schools where admissions strategies are much discussed and more likely to be able to apply without worrying about financial aid. Many students who need to compare aid packages are reluctant to apply in any binding program.
Debra Shaver, director of admission at Smith College, said that the college typically admits about a quarter of the class early and isn't likely to raise that number this year, despite an increase in the number of applications. She noted that the pool is showing a decline in the number of early applicants who are applying for financial aid.
Jess Lord, dean of admission and financial aid at Haverford, said that the college was seeing this year what it expected last year (and didn't see then): "many more families and students than usual expressed to us that they did not apply early decision because they wanted the opportunity to compare financial aid awards and to determine what they could afford."
Lord said that concerns about such students are part of why he doesn't want to see an increase in the share of the classes admitted early. "I don't want to lose a sense that we are making consistent decisions based on consistent criteria," he said.
Lloyd Thacker, founder of the Education Conservancy, a group that has promoted reforms of college admissions, said that the key to talking about early decision programs was to think separately about the students, the colleges and society.
"I would say that in times of uncertainty, in terms of being selected and selecting, you try to hedge your bets, and perhaps that is what institutions and kids are doing," he said. But he added that he was talking about "institutions that can do it and kids who can do it."
The problem is that many students don't feel this is an option that they can consider. "What I worry about is not how it helps one school or one student," he said. "But what happens when more people do this? Early decision disproportionately favors those with access to resources, so it doesn't serve the goals of access and equity."
Keeping early decision in check may be difficult in part because of variations in which more colleges are encouraging students to apply early -- even without early decision programs. Several counselors mentioned that increases in this pattern are making it more standard for high school students to be making decisions earlier in their senior year.
Seth Allen, dean of admission and financial aid at Grinnell, said that based on his time on the road at high schools this fall, many colleges "have clearly stepped up their outreach efforts earlier in the admission cycle, partly for competitive reasons and partly for survival reasons." Many more colleges "employ some form of a quick application which shortens the application requirements and promises a quick decision turnaround. An environment is developing which is encouraging or pressuring students to apply early," he said.
"One counselor I met this fall put it well -- she said it takes a strong-willed student at a school where the majority of the senior class is either applying early decision, early action, rolling decision, or with a quick application to not feel pressure to also submit an early application of some type."
As a result, Allen said he expects early applications of all sorts to continue to rise, based on peers reinforcing the messages from colleges. "The logic has flipped. It's no longer a question of why but of why not? In this kind of evolving environment peer influence is having a larger impact on students' decision to apply early, even early decision, than we've seen in the past."
At the competitive colleges where early admissions is most often a factor, many that didn't eliminate the practice said that they agreed that too much pressure was associated with early applications, and that it was time to dial it back. Last year, many experts assumed that the economic uncertainty in which families found themselves would discourage early applications and that they might drop. Why commit yourself to a college before knowing what kind of aid package you might land elsewhere? But early decision applications went up at many institutions.
This year, while many colleges are still counting (the deadlines for early admissions vary), all signs point to another year in which more students apply early -- and in which some colleges may increase the share of their class admitted early. The colleges reporting increases include not only some of the most competitive, but some that are a notch or two below in competitiveness.
And those colleges reporting a fall in early applications generally say that they remain well above where they were just a few years ago. (Many public institutions are also reporting increases in the number of applicants who are applying earlier in the year, but formal early programs are not a factor at many of these institutions, which use rolling or other admissions systems that do not require a commitment from applicants.)
Encouraging the trend of more early applications, both college and high school counselors said, was the strategy of many colleges -- even those without early decision -- to encourage students to apply earlier in the year, thus making it more of the norm for high school seniors to be applying in early fall, not in December.
Consider some of these figures so far from institutions whose deadlines for early admissions have passed.
At Duke University, the number of early decision applications is up 32 percent this year. At George Washington University, early applications are up 24 percent (and 70 percent over two years). At Grinnell College, numbers are projected to be up by 10 percent, following a similar increase the year before. Stanford University is up 4 percent. New York University is up 5 percent. Smith College is up 6 percent. Dartmouth College is up 3 percent. Pomona College is up 2 percent.
While Duke's new early application pool tops 2,000, increases are also being seen at institutions with smaller early pools (and total classes). At Lawrence University, the early application total last year at this time was 21, and this year it is double, at 42. Given the number of applications started but not yet completed, and the traditionally high admission rate for early applicants, Lawrence expects to enroll about 50 or so early applicants. That would take the share of the class admitted early from 10.5 percent to 14 or 15 percent.
To be sure, not everyone is up. Haverford and Williams Colleges both expect small declines, although even with those declines they will be above where they were a few years ago. The same is true for Yale University.
In terms of a national picture, data from the Common Application also suggest an increase is in the works. The Common Application reports a 22 percent increase, as of November 1, in the number of early applications (some of them requiring a commitment to enroll and others not). That's 185,460 applications, a figure that will rise as other early deadlines are reached. There has also been an increase in the number of Common Application colleges receiving at least one early application -- to 292 institutions, up from 265 last year.
High schools are also reporting that they are seeing increases. Phillip Trout, college counselor at Minnetonka High School and president-elect of the Minnesota Association for College Admission Counseling, said that he is seeing "brisk business" with early applications this fall, up 12 percent over a year ago, when the numbers ended up 13 percent above the prior year's total. Trout said that while many reasons may be at play (admissions deans generally cite the economy), "mostly it comes back to the pitch being given by colleges." That is simply that students believe that they have better chances of getting in if they apply early.
Of course that may be eroded a bit at some institutions that are seeing the largest increases. Duke has historically admitted about one third of those who apply early (much better odds than for those who apply through the regular process), but officials there expect that the admit rate for early decision this year will drop.
The advantage of early admissions for the applicant is a senior year without as much stress, and many counselors applaud the option for those high schoolers who have a clear sense of direction and who have had time to investigate options. Colleges benefit from binding early admissions programs because they can fill a portion of their classes without worrying about whether admitted applicants will accept the offers. A survey by the National Association for College Admission Counseling found that 30.8 percent of private colleges either admitted more students through early admissions this year or plan to do so next year.
The reason some are holding back on doing so is largely concern about the impact on low-income students. One of the criticisms of early admissions programs over the years is that wealthier students are more likely to use them because they are more likely to attend high schools where admissions strategies are much discussed and more likely to be able to apply without worrying about financial aid. Many students who need to compare aid packages are reluctant to apply in any binding program.
Debra Shaver, director of admission at Smith College, said that the college typically admits about a quarter of the class early and isn't likely to raise that number this year, despite an increase in the number of applications. She noted that the pool is showing a decline in the number of early applicants who are applying for financial aid.
Jess Lord, dean of admission and financial aid at Haverford, said that the college was seeing this year what it expected last year (and didn't see then): "many more families and students than usual expressed to us that they did not apply early decision because they wanted the opportunity to compare financial aid awards and to determine what they could afford."
Lord said that concerns about such students are part of why he doesn't want to see an increase in the share of the classes admitted early. "I don't want to lose a sense that we are making consistent decisions based on consistent criteria," he said.
Lloyd Thacker, founder of the Education Conservancy, a group that has promoted reforms of college admissions, said that the key to talking about early decision programs was to think separately about the students, the colleges and society.
"I would say that in times of uncertainty, in terms of being selected and selecting, you try to hedge your bets, and perhaps that is what institutions and kids are doing," he said. But he added that he was talking about "institutions that can do it and kids who can do it."
The problem is that many students don't feel this is an option that they can consider. "What I worry about is not how it helps one school or one student," he said. "But what happens when more people do this? Early decision disproportionately favors those with access to resources, so it doesn't serve the goals of access and equity."
Keeping early decision in check may be difficult in part because of variations in which more colleges are encouraging students to apply early -- even without early decision programs. Several counselors mentioned that increases in this pattern are making it more standard for high school students to be making decisions earlier in their senior year.
Seth Allen, dean of admission and financial aid at Grinnell, said that based on his time on the road at high schools this fall, many colleges "have clearly stepped up their outreach efforts earlier in the admission cycle, partly for competitive reasons and partly for survival reasons." Many more colleges "employ some form of a quick application which shortens the application requirements and promises a quick decision turnaround. An environment is developing which is encouraging or pressuring students to apply early," he said.
"One counselor I met this fall put it well -- she said it takes a strong-willed student at a school where the majority of the senior class is either applying early decision, early action, rolling decision, or with a quick application to not feel pressure to also submit an early application of some type."
As a result, Allen said he expects early applications of all sorts to continue to rise, based on peers reinforcing the messages from colleges. "The logic has flipped. It's no longer a question of why but of why not? In this kind of evolving environment peer influence is having a larger impact on students' decision to apply early, even early decision, than we've seen in the past."
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Extending the Life of Your Computer
Keep that PC out of the graveyard for a few more years
By: Chris Peters
Find tools and tips for greening your nonprofit through TechSoup's GreenTech Initiative, where social benefit organizations can share and learn more about technology choices that can help to reduce our overall impact on the environment.
According to the Electronics TakeBack Coalition (174 KB PDF), manufacturing one desktop computer and monitor requires 530 pounds of fossil fuels, 48 pounds of chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water. Unlike most appliances which require more energy to use than to manufacture, it takes much more energy to produce a computer than that computer will consume in its lifetime. A report from United Nations University indicates that building a computer takes five times more energy than that computer will use throughout the rest of its life; therefore, extending the life of your PC by two years can make a huge difference in your organization’s overall environmental footprint.
If you’re your new to PC maintenance, don’t make the rookie mistake of dumping a computer at the first sign of trouble. Simple, cost-effective software fixes and hardware upgrades can keep your computer running well for years to come.
Software Fixes
Before you recycle a slow computer or reformat its hard drive, make sure you’ve cleaned out the junk and clutter. Common causes of slowness include spyware, viruses, temporary files, fragmented files, and full hard drives. Windows has several built-in utilities to help clean and organize your PC. Check out 5 Ways to Speed Up Your Computer for more information on Disk Cleanup, Checkdisk, and Disk Defragmenter. LifeHacker recently listed the Five Best Windows Maintenance Tools according to the site’s readers. These tools are free, third-party alternatives to the built-in Windows utilities. For Mac tips, check out OS X Maintenance and Troubleshooting.
Better yet, put all of your computers on a regular maintenance schedule so that the gunk never has a chance to accumulate. Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last ten years, you know a little about the danger of computer viruses. Check out TechSoup’s Virus Prevention Toolkit for more information.
Software that starts running when you log on is a particular nuisance to Windows users. Too many auto-running programs can suck system resources and slow your machine. But it’s hard to find the source(s) of this problem, and it’s hard to decide which programs really need to auto-launch and which ones don’t. Again, free utilities can help. Autoruns for Windows and similar programs will scan all the locations where autorun files tend to hide. These tools then present a list and let you block or allow auto-launching at your discretion. If you can’t decide, visit Sysinfo.org. Sysinfo’s database describes the well-known startup programs and tells you how to handle each one.
If the latest versions of Microsoft Office and other standard Windows programs bog down on your PC, open source alternatives might run faster, though that’s not always the case. See Six Steps to Adopting Open-Source Software at Your Org for information on open-source software for your nonprofit. For more information on adopting open-source resources at your organization, check out the Nonprofit Open Source Initiative website.
Change the Role of the Computer
Many computers are discarded before they’ve truly reached the end of their life cycles. Just like office furniture and other equipment, a computer can serve multiple roles within an organization before it’s time to recycle it. For some roles you need an up-to-date recent model PC, but in other cases you can use a castoff, hand-me-down machine. When a computer starts to under-perform in its primary role, consider some of the second acts listed below. By getting as much good use out of a computer as you can, you’re saving money and reducing your organization’s ecological footprint.
•Test machines: Experimenting is a great way to learn about technology, so your staff might appreciate the opportunity to play on some of your older machines.
•Temporary or swap computers: When a computer goes into the shop, it’s nice to have spare machines on hand. You can roll out one of your older PCs while you’re repairing the newer one. Also, if you have guests or new employees, you can set them up on one of the older machines until you’ve prepared their permanent computer.
•Spare parts: Old computers can be a source of replacement parts — expansion cards, memory modules, hard drives, and more.
•Hand-me-down: Different employees have different computing needs. You can often pass an older, slower machine along to someone with less demanding, less resource-intensive software.
•Thin clients: You could convert some of your computers to a thin-client architecture in which multiple desktop environments run virtually on a server and accessed by individual computers. Although such an environment requires your server to have substantial speed and computing power, its requirements of each thin client are much less stringent. Older computers may still be able to thrive for several years as thin clients. Learn more about virtualizing desktops and servers with Virtualization 101.
Hardware Upgrades
Buying newer, faster components sounds like a cheap way to upgrade an old PC because the prices have dropped dramatically in the past few years, but if hardware isn’t the real problem, you may be disappointed with the results. Here are some points to consider before investing in new hardware.
1.Hardware usually isn’t the problem. More often than not, a computer slows down because you’re running too many programs or you need to defragment the drive.
2.If hardware is part of the problem, it’s not always easy to isolate the offending component(s). You can run tests to determine the slowest link inside your computer (also known as the bottleneck), but the results of these tests are often hard to interpret.
3.Installing the new components takes time and expertise. You have to be comfortable opening the computer, and you’ll have to install new drivers. If you buy a new hard drive, you’ll have to image that drive (if you have disk cloning software), or you’ll have to re-install your operating system and all your software.
4.Your system may constrain the available options. For example, some older motherboards won’t recognize more than 1 GB of RAM. If you’re looking at a new video card, does the manufacturer make drivers for your operating system?
5.It can be hard to replace the components on a laptop (for example, keyboard, screen, touchpad mouse). However, you can often plug in an external replacement if one of the integrated parts begins to fail. For example, if the keys begin to fall off, you can plug in a USB keyboard. In effect, this turns your laptop into a stationary desktop PC, but stopgaps like this might get you through to the next fiscal year.
RAM
If hardware still seems to be the root of your problem and you have 512 MB of RAM or less, start by adding more memory. You can buy 1GB of RAM for $20 or less, so it’s one of the cheapest hardware components out there. And nine times out of ten, adding RAM makes a bigger difference in the perceived speed of the computer than any other upgrade. For more advice, see How to Upgrade Your PC’s RAM. With any new hardware component, including RAM, make sure it’s compatible with your motherboard. Crucial and Kingston have tools that recommend the right kind of RAM based on the make and model of your computer. On most modern PCs you should buy and install RAM modules in matched pairs to get the best performance. In other words, if you buy one 512 MB memory module, buy a second module of equal size from the same manufacturer and install it at the same time. Most RAM manufacturers sell memory in “kits” containing one or two matched pairs, so you don’t have to worry about matching them up yourself.
Hard Drive
No hard drive lasts forever, and a hard drive that’s starting to die can slow down every aspect of a computer’s performance. To gauge your hard drive’s performance, try installing HDD Health or a similar application.
In recent years, solid state drives (SSDs) have gained attention as an alternative to traditional hard drives. SSDs are more expensive than traditional drives, but in many cases offer better performance. They also require slightly less power, which benefits both your battery life and the environment. For more information, see Are Solid State Drives Ready for Primetime? in the TechSoup Blog.
Stay away from motherboard and processor upgrades unless you really know what you’re doing. The chances of a serious or catastrophic mistake are high, and the payoff is usually very low in terms of the perceived improvement. For more information, check out Upgrading Your Computer Components.
Try a New Operating System
Many open-source, Linux-based operating systems are designed to use minimal system resources. In other words, they’ll run productivity and web browsing software without noticeable lag even though you have an older processor and 128 MB of RAM. For example, Xubuntu is an officially supported variant of Ubuntu that needs less speed and less memory than the main distribution. Fluxbuntu is even less resource-intensive, but it’s not officially supported by Canonical (the folks who develop and maintain Ubuntu). Make sure that the manufacturers of your hardware provide drivers for Linux. Also, bear in mind that making the switch to Linux may require retraining for your IT staff, your regular staff, and your clients. On the other hand, Linux distributions, such as the ones mentioned, are becoming increasingly user-friendly, so the transition from Windows isn’t as hard as it used to be.
Refurbishing and Recycling
If you’ve exhausted all your other options and it’s time to get rid of a few machines, dispose of them responsibly. First, pay attention to all relevant accounting and fiscal guidelines. Selling used computers to your brother-in-law is a bad idea. Then, if your equipment is less than four years old, donate or sell it to a qualified refurbisher. Refurbishers will fix anything that need’s fixing and then pass the machine along to another organization. Finally, if the PC is too old or too broken for a refurbisher, see if the manufacturer offers a takeback program (if you’re buying new machines from a different company, they may take back your old machine even if it’s not their branded computer) or find a qualified, responsible electronics recycler. Ten Tips for Donating a Computer walks you through the basics of refurbishing and recycling. For more resources, visit TechSoup’s Computer Recycling and Reuse page.
Conclusion
Every organization has different needs, but we suggest the following. Keep up with regular PC maintenance tasks. Get rid of unnecessary software, especially the type that launches itself automatically. Make sure you have enough RAM to run your operating system plus your most resource-intensive software. Set power management settings so you’re using less energy and giving your computer a periodic break. Learn more about power management settings on the TechSoup Blog. Finally, budget for regular PC replacement so you can afford to when they truly need to be replaced.Remember, the energy required to manufacture a new computer could power that computer for several years. When you’re thinking of how to reduce your nonprofit’s energy consumption and IT budget, don’t just think about your own power meters: think about the power and cost that goes into building and buying your computers too.
By: Chris Peters
Find tools and tips for greening your nonprofit through TechSoup's GreenTech Initiative, where social benefit organizations can share and learn more about technology choices that can help to reduce our overall impact on the environment.
According to the Electronics TakeBack Coalition (174 KB PDF), manufacturing one desktop computer and monitor requires 530 pounds of fossil fuels, 48 pounds of chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water. Unlike most appliances which require more energy to use than to manufacture, it takes much more energy to produce a computer than that computer will consume in its lifetime. A report from United Nations University indicates that building a computer takes five times more energy than that computer will use throughout the rest of its life; therefore, extending the life of your PC by two years can make a huge difference in your organization’s overall environmental footprint.
If you’re your new to PC maintenance, don’t make the rookie mistake of dumping a computer at the first sign of trouble. Simple, cost-effective software fixes and hardware upgrades can keep your computer running well for years to come.
Software Fixes
Before you recycle a slow computer or reformat its hard drive, make sure you’ve cleaned out the junk and clutter. Common causes of slowness include spyware, viruses, temporary files, fragmented files, and full hard drives. Windows has several built-in utilities to help clean and organize your PC. Check out 5 Ways to Speed Up Your Computer for more information on Disk Cleanup, Checkdisk, and Disk Defragmenter. LifeHacker recently listed the Five Best Windows Maintenance Tools according to the site’s readers. These tools are free, third-party alternatives to the built-in Windows utilities. For Mac tips, check out OS X Maintenance and Troubleshooting.
Better yet, put all of your computers on a regular maintenance schedule so that the gunk never has a chance to accumulate. Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last ten years, you know a little about the danger of computer viruses. Check out TechSoup’s Virus Prevention Toolkit for more information.
Software that starts running when you log on is a particular nuisance to Windows users. Too many auto-running programs can suck system resources and slow your machine. But it’s hard to find the source(s) of this problem, and it’s hard to decide which programs really need to auto-launch and which ones don’t. Again, free utilities can help. Autoruns for Windows and similar programs will scan all the locations where autorun files tend to hide. These tools then present a list and let you block or allow auto-launching at your discretion. If you can’t decide, visit Sysinfo.org. Sysinfo’s database describes the well-known startup programs and tells you how to handle each one.
If the latest versions of Microsoft Office and other standard Windows programs bog down on your PC, open source alternatives might run faster, though that’s not always the case. See Six Steps to Adopting Open-Source Software at Your Org for information on open-source software for your nonprofit. For more information on adopting open-source resources at your organization, check out the Nonprofit Open Source Initiative website.
Change the Role of the Computer
Many computers are discarded before they’ve truly reached the end of their life cycles. Just like office furniture and other equipment, a computer can serve multiple roles within an organization before it’s time to recycle it. For some roles you need an up-to-date recent model PC, but in other cases you can use a castoff, hand-me-down machine. When a computer starts to under-perform in its primary role, consider some of the second acts listed below. By getting as much good use out of a computer as you can, you’re saving money and reducing your organization’s ecological footprint.
•Test machines: Experimenting is a great way to learn about technology, so your staff might appreciate the opportunity to play on some of your older machines.
•Temporary or swap computers: When a computer goes into the shop, it’s nice to have spare machines on hand. You can roll out one of your older PCs while you’re repairing the newer one. Also, if you have guests or new employees, you can set them up on one of the older machines until you’ve prepared their permanent computer.
•Spare parts: Old computers can be a source of replacement parts — expansion cards, memory modules, hard drives, and more.
•Hand-me-down: Different employees have different computing needs. You can often pass an older, slower machine along to someone with less demanding, less resource-intensive software.
•Thin clients: You could convert some of your computers to a thin-client architecture in which multiple desktop environments run virtually on a server and accessed by individual computers. Although such an environment requires your server to have substantial speed and computing power, its requirements of each thin client are much less stringent. Older computers may still be able to thrive for several years as thin clients. Learn more about virtualizing desktops and servers with Virtualization 101.
Hardware Upgrades
Buying newer, faster components sounds like a cheap way to upgrade an old PC because the prices have dropped dramatically in the past few years, but if hardware isn’t the real problem, you may be disappointed with the results. Here are some points to consider before investing in new hardware.
1.Hardware usually isn’t the problem. More often than not, a computer slows down because you’re running too many programs or you need to defragment the drive.
2.If hardware is part of the problem, it’s not always easy to isolate the offending component(s). You can run tests to determine the slowest link inside your computer (also known as the bottleneck), but the results of these tests are often hard to interpret.
3.Installing the new components takes time and expertise. You have to be comfortable opening the computer, and you’ll have to install new drivers. If you buy a new hard drive, you’ll have to image that drive (if you have disk cloning software), or you’ll have to re-install your operating system and all your software.
4.Your system may constrain the available options. For example, some older motherboards won’t recognize more than 1 GB of RAM. If you’re looking at a new video card, does the manufacturer make drivers for your operating system?
5.It can be hard to replace the components on a laptop (for example, keyboard, screen, touchpad mouse). However, you can often plug in an external replacement if one of the integrated parts begins to fail. For example, if the keys begin to fall off, you can plug in a USB keyboard. In effect, this turns your laptop into a stationary desktop PC, but stopgaps like this might get you through to the next fiscal year.
RAM
If hardware still seems to be the root of your problem and you have 512 MB of RAM or less, start by adding more memory. You can buy 1GB of RAM for $20 or less, so it’s one of the cheapest hardware components out there. And nine times out of ten, adding RAM makes a bigger difference in the perceived speed of the computer than any other upgrade. For more advice, see How to Upgrade Your PC’s RAM. With any new hardware component, including RAM, make sure it’s compatible with your motherboard. Crucial and Kingston have tools that recommend the right kind of RAM based on the make and model of your computer. On most modern PCs you should buy and install RAM modules in matched pairs to get the best performance. In other words, if you buy one 512 MB memory module, buy a second module of equal size from the same manufacturer and install it at the same time. Most RAM manufacturers sell memory in “kits” containing one or two matched pairs, so you don’t have to worry about matching them up yourself.
Hard Drive
No hard drive lasts forever, and a hard drive that’s starting to die can slow down every aspect of a computer’s performance. To gauge your hard drive’s performance, try installing HDD Health or a similar application.
In recent years, solid state drives (SSDs) have gained attention as an alternative to traditional hard drives. SSDs are more expensive than traditional drives, but in many cases offer better performance. They also require slightly less power, which benefits both your battery life and the environment. For more information, see Are Solid State Drives Ready for Primetime? in the TechSoup Blog.
Stay away from motherboard and processor upgrades unless you really know what you’re doing. The chances of a serious or catastrophic mistake are high, and the payoff is usually very low in terms of the perceived improvement. For more information, check out Upgrading Your Computer Components.
Try a New Operating System
Many open-source, Linux-based operating systems are designed to use minimal system resources. In other words, they’ll run productivity and web browsing software without noticeable lag even though you have an older processor and 128 MB of RAM. For example, Xubuntu is an officially supported variant of Ubuntu that needs less speed and less memory than the main distribution. Fluxbuntu is even less resource-intensive, but it’s not officially supported by Canonical (the folks who develop and maintain Ubuntu). Make sure that the manufacturers of your hardware provide drivers for Linux. Also, bear in mind that making the switch to Linux may require retraining for your IT staff, your regular staff, and your clients. On the other hand, Linux distributions, such as the ones mentioned, are becoming increasingly user-friendly, so the transition from Windows isn’t as hard as it used to be.
Refurbishing and Recycling
If you’ve exhausted all your other options and it’s time to get rid of a few machines, dispose of them responsibly. First, pay attention to all relevant accounting and fiscal guidelines. Selling used computers to your brother-in-law is a bad idea. Then, if your equipment is less than four years old, donate or sell it to a qualified refurbisher. Refurbishers will fix anything that need’s fixing and then pass the machine along to another organization. Finally, if the PC is too old or too broken for a refurbisher, see if the manufacturer offers a takeback program (if you’re buying new machines from a different company, they may take back your old machine even if it’s not their branded computer) or find a qualified, responsible electronics recycler. Ten Tips for Donating a Computer walks you through the basics of refurbishing and recycling. For more resources, visit TechSoup’s Computer Recycling and Reuse page.
Conclusion
Every organization has different needs, but we suggest the following. Keep up with regular PC maintenance tasks. Get rid of unnecessary software, especially the type that launches itself automatically. Make sure you have enough RAM to run your operating system plus your most resource-intensive software. Set power management settings so you’re using less energy and giving your computer a periodic break. Learn more about power management settings on the TechSoup Blog. Finally, budget for regular PC replacement so you can afford to when they truly need to be replaced.Remember, the energy required to manufacture a new computer could power that computer for several years. When you’re thinking of how to reduce your nonprofit’s energy consumption and IT budget, don’t just think about your own power meters: think about the power and cost that goes into building and buying your computers too.
Friday, November 6, 2009
AP Writing Style Numbers and Objectivity
Numerals: The general rule is: Spell out one through nine, and use figures for 10 or more. Exceptions to the rule abound. For instance:
Always use figures for dimensions, ages, years, percentages and dates, except when such figures begin a sentence (see below).
Also, spell out numbers that begin a sentence (unless the number is a year, like 1998.)
Also, remember that the "spell out one through nine" rule applies to ordinal numbers, too. In other words, you should spell out first through ninth, and use figures for 10th or more.
See "numerals" in AP Style for details.
In broadcast writing, spell out one through twelve and use figures for 13 to 999. For numbers above 999, spell out "hundred," "thousand," million," "billion" and so forth, and use a hyphen to combine these terms with numerals: one thousand (for 1,000), 15-hundred (for 1,500), 18-thousand (for 18,000), 10-million (for 10,000,000), etc. See also: dollars. (Back to top)
Objectivity: "Objective" means "based on independently verifiable fact." You can objectively say, for example, that a rose is red, mainly because anyone else who looks at the rose would also conclude that the rose is red. Anyone who looked at the rose and saw some other color would be considered color blind at best. If you say, though, that the rose is pretty, you're no longer being objective about the matter, because what's pretty to one person may not be pretty to someone else. To a rose lover, a rose is pretty. To an orchid lover, a rose is plain. Similarly, it may seem entirely appropriate to characterize, say, someone's death as "unfortunate" or even "tragic." But suppose that, unknown to you, the person who died was, well, a real schmuck. All the people the person cheated, stole from, abused, humiliated, exploited, and so on probably don't see his death as unfortunate or tragic. So it's really best simply to describe what happened and let readers make their own value judgments.
News stories do, of course, include opinionated statements quite often. But they are nearly always the opinions of someone other than the journalist. A journalist may write, for example, that, "Lawmakers have a moral duty to ensure that every child can see a doctor when he or she is sick, Sen. John Smith, sponsor of a bill to guarantee health care coverage for all children in the state, said." But it's Sen. Smith's opinion, not the journalist's opinion.
Finally, it's important to realize that although journalists try to be as objective as as possible, no journalist can be completely objective. The very act of defining a set of events as "newsworthy" and boiling those events down into a news story involves making all kinds of non-objective decisions based on value judgments and personal perspectives. But journalists try to be objective where possible by emphasizing independently verifiable facts and avoiding overt, unattributed statements of opinions or judgments. Overt statements of opinion usually are reserved for editorials or opinion columns that are run exclusively on a special page or pages inside the paper. (Back to top)
Always use figures for dimensions, ages, years, percentages and dates, except when such figures begin a sentence (see below).
Also, spell out numbers that begin a sentence (unless the number is a year, like 1998.)
Also, remember that the "spell out one through nine" rule applies to ordinal numbers, too. In other words, you should spell out first through ninth, and use figures for 10th or more.
See "numerals" in AP Style for details.
In broadcast writing, spell out one through twelve and use figures for 13 to 999. For numbers above 999, spell out "hundred," "thousand," million," "billion" and so forth, and use a hyphen to combine these terms with numerals: one thousand (for 1,000), 15-hundred (for 1,500), 18-thousand (for 18,000), 10-million (for 10,000,000), etc. See also: dollars. (Back to top)
Objectivity: "Objective" means "based on independently verifiable fact." You can objectively say, for example, that a rose is red, mainly because anyone else who looks at the rose would also conclude that the rose is red. Anyone who looked at the rose and saw some other color would be considered color blind at best. If you say, though, that the rose is pretty, you're no longer being objective about the matter, because what's pretty to one person may not be pretty to someone else. To a rose lover, a rose is pretty. To an orchid lover, a rose is plain. Similarly, it may seem entirely appropriate to characterize, say, someone's death as "unfortunate" or even "tragic." But suppose that, unknown to you, the person who died was, well, a real schmuck. All the people the person cheated, stole from, abused, humiliated, exploited, and so on probably don't see his death as unfortunate or tragic. So it's really best simply to describe what happened and let readers make their own value judgments.
News stories do, of course, include opinionated statements quite often. But they are nearly always the opinions of someone other than the journalist. A journalist may write, for example, that, "Lawmakers have a moral duty to ensure that every child can see a doctor when he or she is sick, Sen. John Smith, sponsor of a bill to guarantee health care coverage for all children in the state, said." But it's Sen. Smith's opinion, not the journalist's opinion.
Finally, it's important to realize that although journalists try to be as objective as as possible, no journalist can be completely objective. The very act of defining a set of events as "newsworthy" and boiling those events down into a news story involves making all kinds of non-objective decisions based on value judgments and personal perspectives. But journalists try to be objective where possible by emphasizing independently verifiable facts and avoiding overt, unattributed statements of opinions or judgments. Overt statements of opinion usually are reserved for editorials or opinion columns that are run exclusively on a special page or pages inside the paper. (Back to top)
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Are Graduates Un-professional
Today’s college graduates do not exhibit as much professionalism as their employers expect of them, according to a new study from York College of Pennsylvania.
As part of the small liberal arts college’s effort to rebrand itself as a place where “professionalism” is cultivated, its newly created Center for Professional Excellence commissioned a survey of more than 500 human resources professionals and business leaders to gauge not only what they think “professionalism” means but also how well the recent college graduates they have hired exhibit it.
The results of the survey, released Friday, suggest that colleges need to change how they prepare their students for the working world, particularly by reinforcing soft skills like honoring workplace etiquette and having a positive demeanor.
The survey indicates that “there is a widely held sentiment that not all college graduates are displaying professionalism upon entering the work force.” More than 37 percent of the respondents reported that “less than half of [the recent graduates they have hired] exhibit professionalism in their first year." The average employer indicated that slightly more than 51 percent of his or her recent hires exhibit “professionalism.”
In clarifying what exactly this means, about 88 percent of the respondents “think of professionalism as being related to a person rather than the position.” To that end, the traits or behaviors mentioned most by the respondents as being characteristic of professional employees were “personal interaction skills, including courtesy and respect"; “the ability to communicate, which includes listening skills"; “a work ethic which includes being motivated and working on a task until it is complete"; and “appearance.”
Similarly, the traits or behaviors most associated by the respondents with “unprofessionalism” included “appearance, which includes attire, tattoos, and piercings"; “poor communication skills including poor grammar"; “poor work ethic"; and “poor attitude.”
To further define the gap between employer expectations and student realities, the study asked respondents “to rate traits according to both their importance when considering a person for a position requiring professionalism and the extent to which they are present in first year college educated employees.” Upon analysis of these on a matrix, the study notes that the quality most prevalent in new college graduates -- “concern about opportunities for advancement” -- matters the least to employers.
Among the traits or behaviors employers value most, and that they believe are most deficient in the recent graduates they have hired, include “accepts personal responsibility for decision and actions," “is able to act independently," and “has a clear sense of direction and purpose.” The study notes that colleges need to put a particular focus on imparting these traits to their students.
Still, there is some indication that not everyone surveyed believes the “professionalism” of their recent graduate hires has significantly declined in recent years. More than 53 percent of the respondents reported the percentage of those exhibiting “professionalism” has remained the same over the past five years. Nearly a third, however, indicate that it has taken a nosedive in recent years. The most popular reasons for this grim outlook include “an increased sense of entitlement,” “new cultural values,” and “a changed work ethic.”
David Polk, the professor of behavioral science at York whose research group conducted this survey, said he was unsure how much the responses indicated some sort of “generational phenomenon,” acknowledging the age-old disappointment adults throughout history have often expressed in the younger generation. He noted with disappointment that the survey failed to ask the ages of those responding. Still, he noted that, generally, those responding were significantly older than the recent graduates they were asked to assess.
“One of the things you’ve got to ask yourself is, are we just a bunch of dinosaurs looking at young people saying, ‘What I’m seeing here is inappropriate,’ ” mused Polk, who made sure to note he was 61. “Are the changes in attitude here generational or are they lifestyle changes? Will you people eventually take on conservative professionalism or have things just changed? We’ll have to do more studies to find out. For instance, the freewheeling baby boomers of the 1960s are the ones who filled out our survey today. We can be sure which it is with just this one study.”
Polk’s students, who have been discussing his research findings in class, are of two minds about what employers are saying about their generation. On one hand, Polk said he has students balk at the notion that certain tattoos or piercings might make them seem “unprofessional.” Conversely, he said nearly all of them admit to having a greater sense of “entitlement.” While Polk said that most students did not think of this as being problematic, he expressed some concern in this attitude.
“We tell our children, ‘You’re all worth something,’ and ‘None of you are losers,’ ” Polk said. “I’ve asked my class, ‘Do you really think you’re all winners in everything?’ I mean, you’ve got to be mediocre in something. This attitude that everyone’s going to play on the team and that everyone is going to be recognized for something is out there. It’s great that people have positive self-esteem, but I can’t help but think that we live in Lake Wobegon [the fictional town of A Prairie Home Companion fame], where every student is ‘above average.’ ”
Despite this, Polk offered a number of suggestions about what colleges can do in the classroom to improve the “professionalism” of their graduates.
“I think if you can get professors to buy into the concept, which is critical, then professors can serve as role models,” Polk said. “For instance, the last thing I would do is wear blue jeans to class. I think that’s unprofessional and not something I’d wear in a position of presumed authority. … Also, some professors will say, ‘Just call me by my first name.’ There's no way I think that’s proper behavior in my classroom. It creates this wonderfully false impression that professors are less authority figures than they are friends.”
Professors can lead by example in other ways, too, Polk continued.
“Let’s just ignore parents for a second, and let’s call students out on improper behavior in the classroom,” Polk said. “You’ll probably notice from the study, a lot of what people are talking about here is soft skills like attitude, demeanor and respect. As a professor, most of us see our jobs as conveying knowledge and making sure our students comprehend it. I’m not sure how many would respond that it is also their job to help a student develop good behavior. There’s this moral authority that some professors get uncomfortable with. For this to work successfully, when a professor calls out a student’s behavior, the administration should be there to back them up immediately and say, ‘Your behavior is wrong.’ ”
In the meantime, York’s Center for Professional Excellence has gotten in on the act. It will host a number of seminars throughout the academic year with employers talking about expectations of their employees and other workplace issues. Polk said he would like students to be required to attend a certain number of these seminars throughout their college careers. Additionally, he noted he could see the potential for York to create something akin to a general education course focusing on “professionalism.”
“If we can truly embrace this thing, it’ll be a major challenge,” said Polk of York’s effort to rebrand itself. “I can just see me going to faculty and saying to them, ‘Your blue jeans are inappropriate,’ and them telling me where I can go."
— David Moltz
As part of the small liberal arts college’s effort to rebrand itself as a place where “professionalism” is cultivated, its newly created Center for Professional Excellence commissioned a survey of more than 500 human resources professionals and business leaders to gauge not only what they think “professionalism” means but also how well the recent college graduates they have hired exhibit it.
The results of the survey, released Friday, suggest that colleges need to change how they prepare their students for the working world, particularly by reinforcing soft skills like honoring workplace etiquette and having a positive demeanor.
The survey indicates that “there is a widely held sentiment that not all college graduates are displaying professionalism upon entering the work force.” More than 37 percent of the respondents reported that “less than half of [the recent graduates they have hired] exhibit professionalism in their first year." The average employer indicated that slightly more than 51 percent of his or her recent hires exhibit “professionalism.”
In clarifying what exactly this means, about 88 percent of the respondents “think of professionalism as being related to a person rather than the position.” To that end, the traits or behaviors mentioned most by the respondents as being characteristic of professional employees were “personal interaction skills, including courtesy and respect"; “the ability to communicate, which includes listening skills"; “a work ethic which includes being motivated and working on a task until it is complete"; and “appearance.”
Similarly, the traits or behaviors most associated by the respondents with “unprofessionalism” included “appearance, which includes attire, tattoos, and piercings"; “poor communication skills including poor grammar"; “poor work ethic"; and “poor attitude.”
To further define the gap between employer expectations and student realities, the study asked respondents “to rate traits according to both their importance when considering a person for a position requiring professionalism and the extent to which they are present in first year college educated employees.” Upon analysis of these on a matrix, the study notes that the quality most prevalent in new college graduates -- “concern about opportunities for advancement” -- matters the least to employers.
Among the traits or behaviors employers value most, and that they believe are most deficient in the recent graduates they have hired, include “accepts personal responsibility for decision and actions," “is able to act independently," and “has a clear sense of direction and purpose.” The study notes that colleges need to put a particular focus on imparting these traits to their students.
Still, there is some indication that not everyone surveyed believes the “professionalism” of their recent graduate hires has significantly declined in recent years. More than 53 percent of the respondents reported the percentage of those exhibiting “professionalism” has remained the same over the past five years. Nearly a third, however, indicate that it has taken a nosedive in recent years. The most popular reasons for this grim outlook include “an increased sense of entitlement,” “new cultural values,” and “a changed work ethic.”
David Polk, the professor of behavioral science at York whose research group conducted this survey, said he was unsure how much the responses indicated some sort of “generational phenomenon,” acknowledging the age-old disappointment adults throughout history have often expressed in the younger generation. He noted with disappointment that the survey failed to ask the ages of those responding. Still, he noted that, generally, those responding were significantly older than the recent graduates they were asked to assess.
“One of the things you’ve got to ask yourself is, are we just a bunch of dinosaurs looking at young people saying, ‘What I’m seeing here is inappropriate,’ ” mused Polk, who made sure to note he was 61. “Are the changes in attitude here generational or are they lifestyle changes? Will you people eventually take on conservative professionalism or have things just changed? We’ll have to do more studies to find out. For instance, the freewheeling baby boomers of the 1960s are the ones who filled out our survey today. We can be sure which it is with just this one study.”
Polk’s students, who have been discussing his research findings in class, are of two minds about what employers are saying about their generation. On one hand, Polk said he has students balk at the notion that certain tattoos or piercings might make them seem “unprofessional.” Conversely, he said nearly all of them admit to having a greater sense of “entitlement.” While Polk said that most students did not think of this as being problematic, he expressed some concern in this attitude.
“We tell our children, ‘You’re all worth something,’ and ‘None of you are losers,’ ” Polk said. “I’ve asked my class, ‘Do you really think you’re all winners in everything?’ I mean, you’ve got to be mediocre in something. This attitude that everyone’s going to play on the team and that everyone is going to be recognized for something is out there. It’s great that people have positive self-esteem, but I can’t help but think that we live in Lake Wobegon [the fictional town of A Prairie Home Companion fame], where every student is ‘above average.’ ”
Despite this, Polk offered a number of suggestions about what colleges can do in the classroom to improve the “professionalism” of their graduates.
“I think if you can get professors to buy into the concept, which is critical, then professors can serve as role models,” Polk said. “For instance, the last thing I would do is wear blue jeans to class. I think that’s unprofessional and not something I’d wear in a position of presumed authority. … Also, some professors will say, ‘Just call me by my first name.’ There's no way I think that’s proper behavior in my classroom. It creates this wonderfully false impression that professors are less authority figures than they are friends.”
Professors can lead by example in other ways, too, Polk continued.
“Let’s just ignore parents for a second, and let’s call students out on improper behavior in the classroom,” Polk said. “You’ll probably notice from the study, a lot of what people are talking about here is soft skills like attitude, demeanor and respect. As a professor, most of us see our jobs as conveying knowledge and making sure our students comprehend it. I’m not sure how many would respond that it is also their job to help a student develop good behavior. There’s this moral authority that some professors get uncomfortable with. For this to work successfully, when a professor calls out a student’s behavior, the administration should be there to back them up immediately and say, ‘Your behavior is wrong.’ ”
In the meantime, York’s Center for Professional Excellence has gotten in on the act. It will host a number of seminars throughout the academic year with employers talking about expectations of their employees and other workplace issues. Polk said he would like students to be required to attend a certain number of these seminars throughout their college careers. Additionally, he noted he could see the potential for York to create something akin to a general education course focusing on “professionalism.”
“If we can truly embrace this thing, it’ll be a major challenge,” said Polk of York’s effort to rebrand itself. “I can just see me going to faculty and saying to them, ‘Your blue jeans are inappropriate,’ and them telling me where I can go."
— David Moltz
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The Link to AP Writing Style
http://www.bu.edu/com/writingprgm/ap_styleguide1.pdf
The link is above. Paste it into your browser and gather the information.
Dr. VP
The link is above. Paste it into your browser and gather the information.
Dr. VP
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
NBA Players return to college.
Russell Westbrook held the attention of an audience and an instructor, a familiar role for an N.B.A. player. Only, fellow students made up the crowd. And he was addressed by a teacher, not a coach.
Phil Long/Associated Press
Chris Paul, right, with his son and LeBron James at a charity event. Paul took classes at Wake Forest in the off-season.
Westbrook, a second-year guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, walked in late to a history class this summer at U.C.L.A. As the N.B.A. opens its preseason, Westbrook was among about 45 players — 10 percent of the league — who had traded gym bags for backpacks in the off-season.
“The teacher just called my name out: ‘Hey, Mr. Westbrook. Nice to see you. Nice for you to show up,’ ” Westbrook said. “I had to walk all the way to the front and sit on the stage in front of the whole class the whole time. For two hours. I couldn’t go to sleep, couldn’t do nothing. For two hours.”
The N.B.A. union began tracking the classroom migration this year. Debbie Rothstein Murman, the director for career development for the union, said the number was much higher than in the past, although she does not have earlier numbers. For elite athletes, who command seven-figure salaries, returning to college is an investment and a hedge against what can be an uncertain future. Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets resumed classes at Wake Forest, and Westbrook’s teammate Kevin Durant continued working toward his degree at Texas.
A league rule change in 2006 mandates that players be at least one year removed from high school and at least 19 to be drafted. For many players, that meant attending at least one year of college. The rule stopped the influx of players who entered the league directly from high school. But it might have had an inadvertent consequence: some are attempting to finish what they started.
“I had classes with regular students and went to study hall and caught the school bus to the gym,” Durant said. “It was everything I did when I was there before. I’m only two years removed from college and three years removed from high school. Everything came back pretty quick.”
The average annual salary in the N.B.A. is $5.85 million, and players are generally secure in the near term. Their retirement years can be completely different. An estimated 60 percent of N.B.A. players are broke within five years of retiring, and 78 percent of N.F.L. players are bankrupt or under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce within two years, according to a report by Sports Illustrated in March. The magazine also reported that many baseball players struggle financially after retirement.
“It’s not about necessarily needing to work from a financial standpoint, but it’s not the perspective we take with them,” Rothstein Murman said. “Basketball is one of their passions, but they have others. What do they need to equip themselves with their next passion when they finish basketball? Where are they going to make their next marks?”
Professional sports leagues and unions have emphasized education as one way of helping athletes prepare.
Major League Baseball established the Professional Baseball Scholarship Plan in the early 1960s to provide benefits and reimbursement to players, many of whom are drafted out of high school or by their junior year in college. From 1962 to 1999, 69.2 percent of baseball players returned to the classroom, said Pat Courtney, a spokesman for Major League Baseball.
Half of the N.F.L.’s players have college degrees — a greater percentage than in the N.B.A. or in baseball, because fewer football players declare professional eligibility as early. Nearly 100 players went back to college in the off-season, and the league conducts a management program with universities, including Harvard and Stanford. Players receive up to $15,000 for educational reimbursement.
The best basketball players generally depart college when their stock is highest, which often comes sooner rather than later in their university careers. About 21 percent of current N.B.A. players have undergraduate degrees, Rothstein Murman said. Some may not want to leave college early, but feel the responsibility of helping their families with financial burdens.
At the players union’s high school camp, players sign contracts that stipulate they will continue their education should they ever reach the pros before graduating from college.
Some players groaned when Rothstein Murman reminded them of it when they became rookies. The contract is largely symbolic, but some players take it seriously.
The Thunder and the Golden State Warriors each had three players enrolled in summer courses. While some are establishing building blocks for the future, others are fulfilling promises to loved ones or aiming to become the first member of a family to graduate from college.
“I have a younger brother, and it sets an example for him and how important it is,” said Westbrook, who declared for the N.B.A. after his sophomore season at U.C.L.A.
The lectures could be boring, he said, and it took an entire day to write one page of the first paper assigned to him. But he also had the benefit of attending a university where a number of N.B.A. players convened for pickup games. So Westbrook easily shuttled from the court to the classroom. He recently posted on Twitter that he had received all B’s in his summer classes.
Westbrook’s teammate Jeff Green resumed his classes at Georgetown, where he is chipping away at an English degree. One day, he sat near the door when a group of high school students walked past.
“One kid started yelling my name, and it felt weird because I was sitting down trying to pay attention and everyone else in the classroom started looking at me like, ‘What’s going on?’ ” Green said. “My teacher handled it well. He just went and closed the door and went about his lesson.”
The obligations of sport and school can sometimes clash. Vince Carter left the University of North Carolina for the N.B.A. in 1998, but kept working toward his degree in African-American studies. In 2001, Carter, then a guard with the Toronto Raptors, had to juggle preparations for a playoff game with his college graduation. After the ceremony, he rushed to Philadelphia to play the 76ers. Carter ended up missing the final shot, and the Raptors were eliminated. Fans and members of the news media questioned his priorities after that outcome.
“People who criticize me for that have something to think about, I think, because that’s an important time in anybody’s life,” Carter said at the time. “There’s not one person who could sit there and say that they would miss their graduation for nothing.”
The distinction held special meaning for Carter. It will as well for Durant, who departed college after one season.
He keeps in mind that his mother, Wanda Pratt, wanted to return to school but was consumed with raising him and his brother.
“To walk across the stage will be just as important as being drafted,” Durant said. “Maybe even more important because that lasts an entire lifetime.”
As will another part of being a graduate: donation requests from the alumni fund-raising office.
Phil Long/Associated Press
Chris Paul, right, with his son and LeBron James at a charity event. Paul took classes at Wake Forest in the off-season.
Westbrook, a second-year guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, walked in late to a history class this summer at U.C.L.A. As the N.B.A. opens its preseason, Westbrook was among about 45 players — 10 percent of the league — who had traded gym bags for backpacks in the off-season.
“The teacher just called my name out: ‘Hey, Mr. Westbrook. Nice to see you. Nice for you to show up,’ ” Westbrook said. “I had to walk all the way to the front and sit on the stage in front of the whole class the whole time. For two hours. I couldn’t go to sleep, couldn’t do nothing. For two hours.”
The N.B.A. union began tracking the classroom migration this year. Debbie Rothstein Murman, the director for career development for the union, said the number was much higher than in the past, although she does not have earlier numbers. For elite athletes, who command seven-figure salaries, returning to college is an investment and a hedge against what can be an uncertain future. Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets resumed classes at Wake Forest, and Westbrook’s teammate Kevin Durant continued working toward his degree at Texas.
A league rule change in 2006 mandates that players be at least one year removed from high school and at least 19 to be drafted. For many players, that meant attending at least one year of college. The rule stopped the influx of players who entered the league directly from high school. But it might have had an inadvertent consequence: some are attempting to finish what they started.
“I had classes with regular students and went to study hall and caught the school bus to the gym,” Durant said. “It was everything I did when I was there before. I’m only two years removed from college and three years removed from high school. Everything came back pretty quick.”
The average annual salary in the N.B.A. is $5.85 million, and players are generally secure in the near term. Their retirement years can be completely different. An estimated 60 percent of N.B.A. players are broke within five years of retiring, and 78 percent of N.F.L. players are bankrupt or under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce within two years, according to a report by Sports Illustrated in March. The magazine also reported that many baseball players struggle financially after retirement.
“It’s not about necessarily needing to work from a financial standpoint, but it’s not the perspective we take with them,” Rothstein Murman said. “Basketball is one of their passions, but they have others. What do they need to equip themselves with their next passion when they finish basketball? Where are they going to make their next marks?”
Professional sports leagues and unions have emphasized education as one way of helping athletes prepare.
Major League Baseball established the Professional Baseball Scholarship Plan in the early 1960s to provide benefits and reimbursement to players, many of whom are drafted out of high school or by their junior year in college. From 1962 to 1999, 69.2 percent of baseball players returned to the classroom, said Pat Courtney, a spokesman for Major League Baseball.
Half of the N.F.L.’s players have college degrees — a greater percentage than in the N.B.A. or in baseball, because fewer football players declare professional eligibility as early. Nearly 100 players went back to college in the off-season, and the league conducts a management program with universities, including Harvard and Stanford. Players receive up to $15,000 for educational reimbursement.
The best basketball players generally depart college when their stock is highest, which often comes sooner rather than later in their university careers. About 21 percent of current N.B.A. players have undergraduate degrees, Rothstein Murman said. Some may not want to leave college early, but feel the responsibility of helping their families with financial burdens.
At the players union’s high school camp, players sign contracts that stipulate they will continue their education should they ever reach the pros before graduating from college.
Some players groaned when Rothstein Murman reminded them of it when they became rookies. The contract is largely symbolic, but some players take it seriously.
The Thunder and the Golden State Warriors each had three players enrolled in summer courses. While some are establishing building blocks for the future, others are fulfilling promises to loved ones or aiming to become the first member of a family to graduate from college.
“I have a younger brother, and it sets an example for him and how important it is,” said Westbrook, who declared for the N.B.A. after his sophomore season at U.C.L.A.
The lectures could be boring, he said, and it took an entire day to write one page of the first paper assigned to him. But he also had the benefit of attending a university where a number of N.B.A. players convened for pickup games. So Westbrook easily shuttled from the court to the classroom. He recently posted on Twitter that he had received all B’s in his summer classes.
Westbrook’s teammate Jeff Green resumed his classes at Georgetown, where he is chipping away at an English degree. One day, he sat near the door when a group of high school students walked past.
“One kid started yelling my name, and it felt weird because I was sitting down trying to pay attention and everyone else in the classroom started looking at me like, ‘What’s going on?’ ” Green said. “My teacher handled it well. He just went and closed the door and went about his lesson.”
The obligations of sport and school can sometimes clash. Vince Carter left the University of North Carolina for the N.B.A. in 1998, but kept working toward his degree in African-American studies. In 2001, Carter, then a guard with the Toronto Raptors, had to juggle preparations for a playoff game with his college graduation. After the ceremony, he rushed to Philadelphia to play the 76ers. Carter ended up missing the final shot, and the Raptors were eliminated. Fans and members of the news media questioned his priorities after that outcome.
“People who criticize me for that have something to think about, I think, because that’s an important time in anybody’s life,” Carter said at the time. “There’s not one person who could sit there and say that they would miss their graduation for nothing.”
The distinction held special meaning for Carter. It will as well for Durant, who departed college after one season.
He keeps in mind that his mother, Wanda Pratt, wanted to return to school but was consumed with raising him and his brother.
“To walk across the stage will be just as important as being drafted,” Durant said. “Maybe even more important because that lasts an entire lifetime.”
As will another part of being a graduate: donation requests from the alumni fund-raising office.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
50 Best Social Network Sites for Students
Students working on their education from home have plenty of benefits traditional students don’t have, such as flexibility, self-pacing, and independence, but they must also work a little harder to make social connections that may be absent when not physically attending class. It’s great that so many social networks are available for students so they don’t have to miss out on making connections with others. Here are 50 of the best, offering everything from academic networks, networks for purely social connections, business and professional networks, financial networks, and networks for book lovers.
Academic Networks
Prepare for college, find help with assignments, connect with others who are studying in your academic field, and more with these academic networks that provide networking opportunities just right for online students.
Campusbug. Stay connected with your friends while you get access to tools and resources for studying, homework, and projects on this network.
Edmodo. Like Twitter, this network is just for students and teachers. You can share files, assignments, events, and more with Edmodo.
academici. Find others in your fields of study on this network that offers a way for those in the business of knowledge to share information, research, and more.
ResearchGATE. Students can join science professionals to collaborate and network on this site.
SciSpace.net. Another social network for scientists, this one also allows non-scientists to join, but you will need an invitation from another member.
Cramster. This online study community is available to students, parents, and teachers, and has tons of resources to help you succeed academically.
Student.com. This site provides forums and message boards for homework help, subject-specific discussions, and information on topics such as financial aid and finding the right school.
WordChamp. Sign up for free to join this global social network that helps students learning a second language with homework, drills, and even conversation with native speakers.
learnhub. Students can get help with assignments, prepare for standardized tests, and even apply to undergraduate and graduate schools through this network.
The Quad. Open to students, alumni, and family, this site promises to provide members with a smart, savvy social networking experience.
Loomagoo. Share notes and study guides, purchase and sell text books, and connect with friends with Loomagoo.
Social Networks
These social networks are more about the social than academic, but they provide online students an important chance for making connections outside the virtual classroom.
Twitter. All the rage right now, Twitter not only provides social networking, but has also become a great tool for staying connected academically, too.
Facebook. The king of social networking sites for students as well as others, Facebook offers tons of opportunities for connecting with friends and other students.
Playboy U. This social network offers student networking that will appeal to the men in the crowd.
RateMyProfessors.com. Socialize with other students while also finding information about professors at this site that helps protect you from taking classes from ineffective educators.
Ning. Many online colleges have social networking sites on Ning, but if yours doesn’t, then you can create your own social network here.
MySpace. Another very popular social network, MySpace offers video and music sharing plus a whole lot more.
Plaxo. This social network aggregator keeps you connected across several popular social networks in one place.
tribe.net. Working on a concept similar to Ning, this site hosts "tribes" of people who are connected through common interests.
Business and Professional Social Networks
Whether you are a business student, an enterprising young entrepreneur, or an established business person who’s gone back to school for another degree, these business and professional networking sites will help you stay connected.
LinkedIn. Probably one of the highest profile business networks, LinkedIn is a great place to establish your professional presence.
Naymz. Students wanting to establish their personal brand and build their professional network should check out Naymz.
Jigsaw. Growing your business connections is directly associated with your participation in this community where members earn points by contributing contact information.
Ecademy. Build your network, grow your business, or find connections with Ecademy.
Ryze. Not only can you make business contacts on this social community, but you can take advantage of their classified to find employment, real estate, and business opportunities.
APSense. Members can vote positively for legitimate businesses and negatively for scams or spams that make their way in, ensuring only those with good intentions can participate on this business network.
Fast Pitch. This social network gives you a chance to network with professionals in preparation for your career while building your presence.
Talkbiznow. Promote your business, collaborate with others, and find industry insight with this network of business professionals.
BizWiz. BizWiz promises to connect you with information, services, and other business professionals when you join their network.
Social Lending Networks
These networks facilitate loans between members, with many borrowers paying for school this way. If you are looking for ways to fund your education, check out these social lending networks.
Lending Club. Promising to provide borrowers with better rates than most traditional loans, Lending Club also attracts lenders with the ability to control their investments.
CommunityLend. This network is all about creating a sense of community between borrowers and lenders, with borrowers actually having lenders bid on financing them.
GreenNote. Specifically for student loans, GreenNote is a popular alternative to student loans and allows members to finance loans to individual students at low interest rates.
Prosper. Set the interest rate you want when borrowing here, then lenders participate in an auction to fund your loan.
Zopa. This social finance network connects borrowers with credit unions who offer low-interest rates and investors with federally-insured savings deposits.
Personal Finance
Whether you have started school in debt, found yourself with growing debt in order to pay for school, or want to give yourself the best start possible after graduation, these social networks will help you get your personal finances in order.
Minyanville Financial Infotainment. Meet other investors while learning about smart investment strategies and participate in forums, read blogs, and find helpful articles about investing.
Geezeo. Learn to manage your personal finances with the tools and resources available on this network, including the opportunity to ask questions of financial experts.
Wesabe. Connect with others who have the same financial goals as you do in this financial network.
Art of Saving. This personal finance social network helps members reach their finance goals, such as saving for life after college, while learning from experts, other members, webinars and events.
I Hate Debt. Connect with other members in this community of people working to eliminate their personal debt through blogs, chats, message boards, and more.
ClearPoint. ClearPoint allows members to connect with others through videos, message boards, and a blog to learn ways to successfully get out of debt.
Debt Consolidation Care. Participate in this community, use the resources available, and read informative articles to help reduce and eliminate your debt.
Books and Reading
While most of your time is probably wrapped up in reading texts, if you still crave a little personal reading, then these social networks are a great way to feed your need. You can probably even find some help with your literature classes here, too.
Shelfari. Use the beautiful visual bookshelves here to organize the books you’ve read as well as the ones you want to read, then share your books and opinions with others on this network.
aNobii. Connect with other members with whom you share the same books on your lists, rate books, purchase books online, and get code to add to your blog so you can write about specific books.
LibraryThing. A popular book network, LibraryThing, lets you catalog your books virtually, find reviews from others, share your opinion, and much more.
Bookarmy. This community is devoted to preventing people from having to read bad books with their reviews, recommendations, information about authors, and connections with others.
Goodreads. Book lovers can organize books, share reviews, form virtual book clubs, test their knowledge of book trivia, and much more at this popular reading network.
ReadWhale. Create a book shelf, then connect with others to rate, discuss, and compare books in this social community.
Juicespot. Read articles and vote on whether you agree with the point made, see what critics have to say, and share your own reviews with others in the community.
Noting:books. Keep and share notes about the books you are reading, including the days you started and finished and your thoughts as you read each book.
Booktagger. Add the books your list and tag them with descriptions, then join a book group or create your own. You can also keep track of books you’ve loaned.
ConnectViaBooks. You are greeted with an interactive map that shows the various activities of members around the world when you arrive at this social network. Join in and connect with these members to share your love of books globally.
Academic Networks
Prepare for college, find help with assignments, connect with others who are studying in your academic field, and more with these academic networks that provide networking opportunities just right for online students.
Campusbug. Stay connected with your friends while you get access to tools and resources for studying, homework, and projects on this network.
Edmodo. Like Twitter, this network is just for students and teachers. You can share files, assignments, events, and more with Edmodo.
academici. Find others in your fields of study on this network that offers a way for those in the business of knowledge to share information, research, and more.
ResearchGATE. Students can join science professionals to collaborate and network on this site.
SciSpace.net. Another social network for scientists, this one also allows non-scientists to join, but you will need an invitation from another member.
Cramster. This online study community is available to students, parents, and teachers, and has tons of resources to help you succeed academically.
Student.com. This site provides forums and message boards for homework help, subject-specific discussions, and information on topics such as financial aid and finding the right school.
WordChamp. Sign up for free to join this global social network that helps students learning a second language with homework, drills, and even conversation with native speakers.
learnhub. Students can get help with assignments, prepare for standardized tests, and even apply to undergraduate and graduate schools through this network.
The Quad. Open to students, alumni, and family, this site promises to provide members with a smart, savvy social networking experience.
Loomagoo. Share notes and study guides, purchase and sell text books, and connect with friends with Loomagoo.
Social Networks
These social networks are more about the social than academic, but they provide online students an important chance for making connections outside the virtual classroom.
Twitter. All the rage right now, Twitter not only provides social networking, but has also become a great tool for staying connected academically, too.
Facebook. The king of social networking sites for students as well as others, Facebook offers tons of opportunities for connecting with friends and other students.
Playboy U. This social network offers student networking that will appeal to the men in the crowd.
RateMyProfessors.com. Socialize with other students while also finding information about professors at this site that helps protect you from taking classes from ineffective educators.
Ning. Many online colleges have social networking sites on Ning, but if yours doesn’t, then you can create your own social network here.
MySpace. Another very popular social network, MySpace offers video and music sharing plus a whole lot more.
Plaxo. This social network aggregator keeps you connected across several popular social networks in one place.
tribe.net. Working on a concept similar to Ning, this site hosts "tribes" of people who are connected through common interests.
Business and Professional Social Networks
Whether you are a business student, an enterprising young entrepreneur, or an established business person who’s gone back to school for another degree, these business and professional networking sites will help you stay connected.
LinkedIn. Probably one of the highest profile business networks, LinkedIn is a great place to establish your professional presence.
Naymz. Students wanting to establish their personal brand and build their professional network should check out Naymz.
Jigsaw. Growing your business connections is directly associated with your participation in this community where members earn points by contributing contact information.
Ecademy. Build your network, grow your business, or find connections with Ecademy.
Ryze. Not only can you make business contacts on this social community, but you can take advantage of their classified to find employment, real estate, and business opportunities.
APSense. Members can vote positively for legitimate businesses and negatively for scams or spams that make their way in, ensuring only those with good intentions can participate on this business network.
Fast Pitch. This social network gives you a chance to network with professionals in preparation for your career while building your presence.
Talkbiznow. Promote your business, collaborate with others, and find industry insight with this network of business professionals.
BizWiz. BizWiz promises to connect you with information, services, and other business professionals when you join their network.
Social Lending Networks
These networks facilitate loans between members, with many borrowers paying for school this way. If you are looking for ways to fund your education, check out these social lending networks.
Lending Club. Promising to provide borrowers with better rates than most traditional loans, Lending Club also attracts lenders with the ability to control their investments.
CommunityLend. This network is all about creating a sense of community between borrowers and lenders, with borrowers actually having lenders bid on financing them.
GreenNote. Specifically for student loans, GreenNote is a popular alternative to student loans and allows members to finance loans to individual students at low interest rates.
Prosper. Set the interest rate you want when borrowing here, then lenders participate in an auction to fund your loan.
Zopa. This social finance network connects borrowers with credit unions who offer low-interest rates and investors with federally-insured savings deposits.
Personal Finance
Whether you have started school in debt, found yourself with growing debt in order to pay for school, or want to give yourself the best start possible after graduation, these social networks will help you get your personal finances in order.
Minyanville Financial Infotainment. Meet other investors while learning about smart investment strategies and participate in forums, read blogs, and find helpful articles about investing.
Geezeo. Learn to manage your personal finances with the tools and resources available on this network, including the opportunity to ask questions of financial experts.
Wesabe. Connect with others who have the same financial goals as you do in this financial network.
Art of Saving. This personal finance social network helps members reach their finance goals, such as saving for life after college, while learning from experts, other members, webinars and events.
I Hate Debt. Connect with other members in this community of people working to eliminate their personal debt through blogs, chats, message boards, and more.
ClearPoint. ClearPoint allows members to connect with others through videos, message boards, and a blog to learn ways to successfully get out of debt.
Debt Consolidation Care. Participate in this community, use the resources available, and read informative articles to help reduce and eliminate your debt.
Books and Reading
While most of your time is probably wrapped up in reading texts, if you still crave a little personal reading, then these social networks are a great way to feed your need. You can probably even find some help with your literature classes here, too.
Shelfari. Use the beautiful visual bookshelves here to organize the books you’ve read as well as the ones you want to read, then share your books and opinions with others on this network.
aNobii. Connect with other members with whom you share the same books on your lists, rate books, purchase books online, and get code to add to your blog so you can write about specific books.
LibraryThing. A popular book network, LibraryThing, lets you catalog your books virtually, find reviews from others, share your opinion, and much more.
Bookarmy. This community is devoted to preventing people from having to read bad books with their reviews, recommendations, information about authors, and connections with others.
Goodreads. Book lovers can organize books, share reviews, form virtual book clubs, test their knowledge of book trivia, and much more at this popular reading network.
ReadWhale. Create a book shelf, then connect with others to rate, discuss, and compare books in this social community.
Juicespot. Read articles and vote on whether you agree with the point made, see what critics have to say, and share your own reviews with others in the community.
Noting:books. Keep and share notes about the books you are reading, including the days you started and finished and your thoughts as you read each book.
Booktagger. Add the books your list and tag them with descriptions, then join a book group or create your own. You can also keep track of books you’ve loaned.
ConnectViaBooks. You are greeted with an interactive map that shows the various activities of members around the world when you arrive at this social network. Join in and connect with these members to share your love of books globally.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
More U.S. students picking Canadian universities
By Susan Snyder
Inquirer Staff Writer
Terese Schireson was looking for a large college in an urban setting with substantial numbers of international students that wouldn't force her to go deep in debt.
The Rosemont native found the perfect fit in beautiful, cosmopolitan Montreal.
She'll graduate in the spring from McGill University - where tuition, fees, and room and board run about $21,000 a year - debt-free and with a degree in Hispanic studies and Italian.
"The quality of education I'm getting is the same as a school where I would pay $50,000 a year," said Schireson, 21, a graduate of the private Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia. "I feel like people don't realize that this is just a few hundred miles north."
More American students are finding worth in Canada's higher-education system, where costs are lower than many private schools in the United States and in some cases similar to costs at flagship state schools, such as Pennsylvania State and Rutgers Universities.
During the last decade, the number of American students at Canadian universities has more than doubled, says the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, to 8,200 in 2007-08, up from 3,312 a decade ago.
The Canadian Embassy in Washington expects there will be as many as 10,000 this year, making the United States the second-largest exporter of students to Canada behind China.
Canadian colleges are recruiting more aggressively; last week they launched a five-city tour in Baltimore.
For the first time, they're coming as a group to the Philadelphia area. Seventeen universities, including the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia, will hold an event today in King of Prussia.
The recruiting effort involves an increasing number of schools. Twelve years ago, only 10 Canadian colleges enrolled 50 or more U.S. students and only three had 100 or more, according to the Canadian Embassy. Now, 31 schools have 50 or more and 14 of them have 100 or more.
"There is a recognition that this is an important market for our universities, given the proximity," said Pari Johnston, director of international relations at the Canadian college association's Ottawa office. "Our universities can offer a high quality, affordable education to American students."
The Canadian Embassy, which is organizing the recruiting fairs, targeted the Philadelphia area because "we thought it seemed like a good market with a lot of intelligent students," said Alexander Leipziger, program associate.
The fairs - open to parents, students, and guidance counselors - will also be held in Boston, Minneapolis, and Stamford, Conn.
The higher-education system in Canada is largely publicly funded. The government covers about 60 percent of operational costs for the country's 94 public universities.
The U.S. higher-education system is much larger, with 2,500 four-year, nonprofit universities. Canada sends 28,000 students to U.S. colleges.
One of the biggest challenges Canadian universities face is lack of knowledge about them, said David Hawkins of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. But as the United States becomes more global, he expects students increasingly will look for options outside the country.
"There still is an information or understanding gap to be bridged, but I'd say that gap is getting smaller," he said.
Even though international students pay more than Canadians, cost can be the attraction.
The University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto are among the most expensive in Canada, with tuition and room-and-board costs topping $30,000, but are still cheaper than a private school such as Villanova, where annual costs are pushing $50,000. Other, lesser-known Canadian schools are well under $20,000.
Canadian colleges also offer need-based and merit aid, although not as much as universities in the United States. And U.S. families can use college-savings plans and get federal student loans.
Inquirer Staff Writer
Terese Schireson was looking for a large college in an urban setting with substantial numbers of international students that wouldn't force her to go deep in debt.
The Rosemont native found the perfect fit in beautiful, cosmopolitan Montreal.
She'll graduate in the spring from McGill University - where tuition, fees, and room and board run about $21,000 a year - debt-free and with a degree in Hispanic studies and Italian.
"The quality of education I'm getting is the same as a school where I would pay $50,000 a year," said Schireson, 21, a graduate of the private Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia. "I feel like people don't realize that this is just a few hundred miles north."
More American students are finding worth in Canada's higher-education system, where costs are lower than many private schools in the United States and in some cases similar to costs at flagship state schools, such as Pennsylvania State and Rutgers Universities.
During the last decade, the number of American students at Canadian universities has more than doubled, says the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, to 8,200 in 2007-08, up from 3,312 a decade ago.
The Canadian Embassy in Washington expects there will be as many as 10,000 this year, making the United States the second-largest exporter of students to Canada behind China.
Canadian colleges are recruiting more aggressively; last week they launched a five-city tour in Baltimore.
For the first time, they're coming as a group to the Philadelphia area. Seventeen universities, including the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia, will hold an event today in King of Prussia.
The recruiting effort involves an increasing number of schools. Twelve years ago, only 10 Canadian colleges enrolled 50 or more U.S. students and only three had 100 or more, according to the Canadian Embassy. Now, 31 schools have 50 or more and 14 of them have 100 or more.
"There is a recognition that this is an important market for our universities, given the proximity," said Pari Johnston, director of international relations at the Canadian college association's Ottawa office. "Our universities can offer a high quality, affordable education to American students."
The Canadian Embassy, which is organizing the recruiting fairs, targeted the Philadelphia area because "we thought it seemed like a good market with a lot of intelligent students," said Alexander Leipziger, program associate.
The fairs - open to parents, students, and guidance counselors - will also be held in Boston, Minneapolis, and Stamford, Conn.
The higher-education system in Canada is largely publicly funded. The government covers about 60 percent of operational costs for the country's 94 public universities.
The U.S. higher-education system is much larger, with 2,500 four-year, nonprofit universities. Canada sends 28,000 students to U.S. colleges.
One of the biggest challenges Canadian universities face is lack of knowledge about them, said David Hawkins of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. But as the United States becomes more global, he expects students increasingly will look for options outside the country.
"There still is an information or understanding gap to be bridged, but I'd say that gap is getting smaller," he said.
Even though international students pay more than Canadians, cost can be the attraction.
The University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto are among the most expensive in Canada, with tuition and room-and-board costs topping $30,000, but are still cheaper than a private school such as Villanova, where annual costs are pushing $50,000. Other, lesser-known Canadian schools are well under $20,000.
Canadian colleges also offer need-based and merit aid, although not as much as universities in the United States. And U.S. families can use college-savings plans and get federal student loans.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
What does the SAT Test?
Here are recent excerpts from The Answer Sheet by Valerie Strauss, The Post's new education blog.
Edward Carroll takes tests for a living. To be precise, he takes the SAT, the dreaded college admissions test. Over and over.
The 38-year-old has taken every SAT made available over the past decade by its owner, the nonprofit College Board. Usually he takes it alongside high-schoolers on Saturday mornings.
He has also analyzed another decade's worth of tests.
"People think I'm crazy," he said, but his job depends on his diligence: He is a standardized test expert and tutor at the Princeton Review, an education and test-prep company.
That means he is also an expert on the ACT, the other major college entrance exam, owned by the nonprofit education and workforce-development organization ACT. Most schools use these exams to inform their admissions decisions, and just about all of them that do accept the results of the SAT or the ACT.
For those high school students now starting the grueling admissions process, Carroll offers the following from conversations with The Answer Sheet on e-mail and on the phone:
Q. What does the SAT actually test? What does it say about someone who takes it?
The SAT, more than anything else, shows how well you take the SAT. It is NOT a measure of a student's raw math or verbal ability. The College Board itself does not claim that the SAT predicts subject skills, but rather that it is a predictor of performance in college (along with the rest of a student's application).
Personally, I think it also filters out students who can't perform quickly. The test is rigidly and tightly timed. It is very, very difficult to finish each section and the [College Board] knows it. They design it that way so that they can assure a nice range of scores to the colleges for comparison.
So it doesn't tell much of anything important?
It is a very flawed test if you expect it to reveal much about student content skill or personal study and performance ability.
Who does well on it?
The SAT puts students in a pressurized environment, and students who perform well in testing situations will excel. Everyone knows a story of a slacker student who doesn't work hard in school and does well on the SAT. . . . On the SAT, if you're brilliant and slow, you'll get a very average score.
Why is it so difficult?
It's not, really. The questions are not straightforward.
Explain.
Each test is equally tricky. The simplest example of that is that it often asks "What is x + 1?" when students have to do lots of calculations to solve for x. Then, as they do throughout math class in school, they choose the value of x that they found. To put it another way, they do everything correctly in solving, then circle the wrong answer (because the trap answers will always be there)! Thus, they get the question wrong, but NOT because they didn't know what they were doing.
Is the ACT more indicative of a student's ability than the SAT?
In short, yes. It tests what students learn better than the SAT. It has its own flaws, but what it purports to do it does better than the SAT.
What are the flaws?
It is hard to finish. . . . It has to have students fall into a predictable range. It is standardized. . .
And you always have to be suspicious of the easy answer no matter what test you are taking. These tests are multiple-choice. They have to have the answer on the page, so they make the other answers as attractive as possible but specifically wrong. Students have to eliminate an obviously wrong answer and get it down to 3 or 2.
Any truth to the notion that one SAT given each year is harder than the rest?
The SAT does not change from test to test. It is a myth that there is a better day or month in which to take the test. This is a standardized test. It does not change, and the scores from one test are equivalent to scores on another test. Despite our criticisms of the SAT over the years, the College Board is very good at one thing -- making its tests the same every time. It's nonsense to think otherwise, but this myth persists.
The addition of a written essay in the SAT test in 2005 didn't change things?
The "old" one changed in March 2005. In a nutshell, it didn't change very much. They took their old SAT Writing test and tacked it onto the SAT -- that's how it got an essay. The rest of it (slight math changes and elimination of Analogies) had very little effect on the overall student experience test, despite what you may have heard. The biggest effect on students is that it is now longer -- 3 hours 45 minutes -- much more than that if you include [administrative] and break times.
Why would someone take the tricky SAT if the ACT is more straightforward?
The SAT does work for some students. . . . Some of the material on the ACT is at a higher level than the SAT. . . . I can tell SAT kids, you will never see a question with really advanced geometry.
Let's talk about test prep.
In general, our approach to the SAT is that we analyze it for unintended patterns, then tell students what they are. We don't pretend to teach more than that. This is one of the reasons that [the Princeton Review] has received criticism in the past. But we do raise scores.
Some people say test prep can only raise scores a little. Others say it can help a lot. What do you think?
It can help a lot. It depends on the point at which you start.
You've taken scores of tests. How do you do on them?
I do pretty well, but I'm human, so I can still make a mistake. . . . I can tell you this. I have gotten a perfect score in each section but not on the same test.
The kids must wonder about you when you take the SAT.
The high school kids think . . . I'm a little slow and I'm just getting to college.
Do you finish the SAT in the allotted time?
I can, but I have a much better vocabulary than your typical 16-year-old. . . . Your average adult who has gone through high school will do pretty well on the verbal section and will do less than they think they will in math, because the Pythagorean theorem doesn't come up much in their daily lives.
Why do kids always say, "Nothing," when parents ask them what happened in school?
Not all of them do. Some are chatty and tell their parents every last detail about who did what to whom at school.
But it is true most would rather not. A survey by a British government agency on this very issue was released this year. The conclusions, as reported by the BBC:
-- 82 percent of parents wished they had more information about their children's school life.
-- 16 percent of children volunteered information about their day at school.
-- Nearly 25 percent of children felt like their parents "were hassling" them by asking about school.
An informal survey conducted by The Answer Sheet -- in which several dozen children from elementary to high school were questioned -- showed that most of the kids don't want to talk about school for the same reason:
After eight hours in school and more time doing homework, they are sick of school and don't want to talk about it. You are probably asking your kids about school at dinner or even later. They are tired, and their focus is away from schoolwork. They don't want to go back there until they have to.
My friend Liz's son, when he was 4, said to her after being asked every day for more than a year about his day in nursery school: "Why do you keep asking me about school? I'm never going to tell you." He eventually did, as a teenager, after she stopped asking him insistently.
It is true that there are times when my own children don't want to talk to me about anything -- choosing to spend their free time talking to their friends or listening to music.
But I do find out something about their day by asking extremely specific questions -- "Tell me one thing that happened in English class," for example -- and insisting that I get answers.
It works. Sometimes.
Edward Carroll takes tests for a living. To be precise, he takes the SAT, the dreaded college admissions test. Over and over.
The 38-year-old has taken every SAT made available over the past decade by its owner, the nonprofit College Board. Usually he takes it alongside high-schoolers on Saturday mornings.
He has also analyzed another decade's worth of tests.
"People think I'm crazy," he said, but his job depends on his diligence: He is a standardized test expert and tutor at the Princeton Review, an education and test-prep company.
That means he is also an expert on the ACT, the other major college entrance exam, owned by the nonprofit education and workforce-development organization ACT. Most schools use these exams to inform their admissions decisions, and just about all of them that do accept the results of the SAT or the ACT.
For those high school students now starting the grueling admissions process, Carroll offers the following from conversations with The Answer Sheet on e-mail and on the phone:
Q. What does the SAT actually test? What does it say about someone who takes it?
The SAT, more than anything else, shows how well you take the SAT. It is NOT a measure of a student's raw math or verbal ability. The College Board itself does not claim that the SAT predicts subject skills, but rather that it is a predictor of performance in college (along with the rest of a student's application).
Personally, I think it also filters out students who can't perform quickly. The test is rigidly and tightly timed. It is very, very difficult to finish each section and the [College Board] knows it. They design it that way so that they can assure a nice range of scores to the colleges for comparison.
So it doesn't tell much of anything important?
It is a very flawed test if you expect it to reveal much about student content skill or personal study and performance ability.
Who does well on it?
The SAT puts students in a pressurized environment, and students who perform well in testing situations will excel. Everyone knows a story of a slacker student who doesn't work hard in school and does well on the SAT. . . . On the SAT, if you're brilliant and slow, you'll get a very average score.
Why is it so difficult?
It's not, really. The questions are not straightforward.
Explain.
Each test is equally tricky. The simplest example of that is that it often asks "What is x + 1?" when students have to do lots of calculations to solve for x. Then, as they do throughout math class in school, they choose the value of x that they found. To put it another way, they do everything correctly in solving, then circle the wrong answer (because the trap answers will always be there)! Thus, they get the question wrong, but NOT because they didn't know what they were doing.
Is the ACT more indicative of a student's ability than the SAT?
In short, yes. It tests what students learn better than the SAT. It has its own flaws, but what it purports to do it does better than the SAT.
What are the flaws?
It is hard to finish. . . . It has to have students fall into a predictable range. It is standardized. . .
And you always have to be suspicious of the easy answer no matter what test you are taking. These tests are multiple-choice. They have to have the answer on the page, so they make the other answers as attractive as possible but specifically wrong. Students have to eliminate an obviously wrong answer and get it down to 3 or 2.
Any truth to the notion that one SAT given each year is harder than the rest?
The SAT does not change from test to test. It is a myth that there is a better day or month in which to take the test. This is a standardized test. It does not change, and the scores from one test are equivalent to scores on another test. Despite our criticisms of the SAT over the years, the College Board is very good at one thing -- making its tests the same every time. It's nonsense to think otherwise, but this myth persists.
The addition of a written essay in the SAT test in 2005 didn't change things?
The "old" one changed in March 2005. In a nutshell, it didn't change very much. They took their old SAT Writing test and tacked it onto the SAT -- that's how it got an essay. The rest of it (slight math changes and elimination of Analogies) had very little effect on the overall student experience test, despite what you may have heard. The biggest effect on students is that it is now longer -- 3 hours 45 minutes -- much more than that if you include [administrative] and break times.
Why would someone take the tricky SAT if the ACT is more straightforward?
The SAT does work for some students. . . . Some of the material on the ACT is at a higher level than the SAT. . . . I can tell SAT kids, you will never see a question with really advanced geometry.
Let's talk about test prep.
In general, our approach to the SAT is that we analyze it for unintended patterns, then tell students what they are. We don't pretend to teach more than that. This is one of the reasons that [the Princeton Review] has received criticism in the past. But we do raise scores.
Some people say test prep can only raise scores a little. Others say it can help a lot. What do you think?
It can help a lot. It depends on the point at which you start.
You've taken scores of tests. How do you do on them?
I do pretty well, but I'm human, so I can still make a mistake. . . . I can tell you this. I have gotten a perfect score in each section but not on the same test.
The kids must wonder about you when you take the SAT.
The high school kids think . . . I'm a little slow and I'm just getting to college.
Do you finish the SAT in the allotted time?
I can, but I have a much better vocabulary than your typical 16-year-old. . . . Your average adult who has gone through high school will do pretty well on the verbal section and will do less than they think they will in math, because the Pythagorean theorem doesn't come up much in their daily lives.
Why do kids always say, "Nothing," when parents ask them what happened in school?
Not all of them do. Some are chatty and tell their parents every last detail about who did what to whom at school.
But it is true most would rather not. A survey by a British government agency on this very issue was released this year. The conclusions, as reported by the BBC:
-- 82 percent of parents wished they had more information about their children's school life.
-- 16 percent of children volunteered information about their day at school.
-- Nearly 25 percent of children felt like their parents "were hassling" them by asking about school.
An informal survey conducted by The Answer Sheet -- in which several dozen children from elementary to high school were questioned -- showed that most of the kids don't want to talk about school for the same reason:
After eight hours in school and more time doing homework, they are sick of school and don't want to talk about it. You are probably asking your kids about school at dinner or even later. They are tired, and their focus is away from schoolwork. They don't want to go back there until they have to.
My friend Liz's son, when he was 4, said to her after being asked every day for more than a year about his day in nursery school: "Why do you keep asking me about school? I'm never going to tell you." He eventually did, as a teenager, after she stopped asking him insistently.
It is true that there are times when my own children don't want to talk to me about anything -- choosing to spend their free time talking to their friends or listening to music.
But I do find out something about their day by asking extremely specific questions -- "Tell me one thing that happened in English class," for example -- and insisting that I get answers.
It works. Sometimes.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Public Spending on Higher Education Pays Off, Report Says
By Aisha Labi
The full impact of the global economic crisis on higher-education systems is still unclear, but as national economies struggle to recover their footing and unemployment levels remain high, "the incentives for individuals to stay on in education are likely to rise over the next years," says a new report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The report, "Education at a Glance 2009: OECD Indicators," is the latest in an annual series that analyzes data on the education systems in the group's 30 member countries, which include many European democracies, as well as Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Turkey, and the United States.
This year's report, based on data up to 2007, was already being prepared as the scope of the economic crisis became apparent last year. Because of this timing, "we cannot assess the impact of the crisis on education," said Andreas Schleicher, head of the OECD unit that produces the Education at a Glance series. "But what we can say is that this publication allows you to look at the relationship between employment and education, and long-term earnings and education."
In periods of economic difficulty, the "opportunity costs" for opting to remain in higher education versus joining the work force are low, he said, adding that with those costs now at historic lows, demand for higher education will continue to grow.
Benefits of Public Spending
The series examines all levels of education, from early childhood up, but this year's report focuses especially on higher education, in part because of the economic climate, said Mr. Schleicher. The authors wanted to know if spending public money on higher education, particularly during a downturn, was "the right choice," he said. Based on an analysis of the pubic-sector costs of providing a university education, the answer was yes.
On average across the OECD, the net public return on the cost of providing a university education for a male student is in excess of $50,000. "In virtually every country, the public benefits of higher education outweigh the costs," Mr. Schleicher said. "The traditional wisdom was that higher education benefits individuals most, but this was the first time we looked at public costs and public benefits in conjunction."
Especially in the United States, where tuition levels are on average much higher than in other OECD countries, universities have had to cope with sharp endowment losses, curtailed government spending, and families less able to afford tuition.
Perhaps encouragingly, the report says that countries that charge relatively high tuition but also offer generous public subsidies, such as Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United States, do not show lower levels of entry to higher education than other countries. Their participation rates—84 percent in Australia, 58 percent in the Netherlands, 72 percent in New Zealand, and 64 percent in the United States—are well above the OECD average.
The full impact of the global economic crisis on higher-education systems is still unclear, but as national economies struggle to recover their footing and unemployment levels remain high, "the incentives for individuals to stay on in education are likely to rise over the next years," says a new report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The report, "Education at a Glance 2009: OECD Indicators," is the latest in an annual series that analyzes data on the education systems in the group's 30 member countries, which include many European democracies, as well as Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Turkey, and the United States.
This year's report, based on data up to 2007, was already being prepared as the scope of the economic crisis became apparent last year. Because of this timing, "we cannot assess the impact of the crisis on education," said Andreas Schleicher, head of the OECD unit that produces the Education at a Glance series. "But what we can say is that this publication allows you to look at the relationship between employment and education, and long-term earnings and education."
In periods of economic difficulty, the "opportunity costs" for opting to remain in higher education versus joining the work force are low, he said, adding that with those costs now at historic lows, demand for higher education will continue to grow.
Benefits of Public Spending
The series examines all levels of education, from early childhood up, but this year's report focuses especially on higher education, in part because of the economic climate, said Mr. Schleicher. The authors wanted to know if spending public money on higher education, particularly during a downturn, was "the right choice," he said. Based on an analysis of the pubic-sector costs of providing a university education, the answer was yes.
On average across the OECD, the net public return on the cost of providing a university education for a male student is in excess of $50,000. "In virtually every country, the public benefits of higher education outweigh the costs," Mr. Schleicher said. "The traditional wisdom was that higher education benefits individuals most, but this was the first time we looked at public costs and public benefits in conjunction."
Especially in the United States, where tuition levels are on average much higher than in other OECD countries, universities have had to cope with sharp endowment losses, curtailed government spending, and families less able to afford tuition.
Perhaps encouragingly, the report says that countries that charge relatively high tuition but also offer generous public subsidies, such as Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United States, do not show lower levels of entry to higher education than other countries. Their participation rates—84 percent in Australia, 58 percent in the Netherlands, 72 percent in New Zealand, and 64 percent in the United States—are well above the OECD average.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
No more funding for merit
The University of Texas at Austin is ending participation in the National Merit Scholarship Program, the largest single campus departure in years from the program, which enjoys considerable prestige in some circles but is controversial in others. The university plans to shift the funds to need-based aid.
Isnt it interesting that in a time of financial crisis, academic institutions are changeing their focus from providing funding to students who have achieved academically to give money to those based on need. Is this telling that student that academic achievement is no longer important?
While academic institutions do what they do for various reasons it is shameful for a school to pull a merit based funding. Students need to steer clear of school based funding and seek other resources to fund their education.
Isnt it interesting that in a time of financial crisis, academic institutions are changeing their focus from providing funding to students who have achieved academically to give money to those based on need. Is this telling that student that academic achievement is no longer important?
While academic institutions do what they do for various reasons it is shameful for a school to pull a merit based funding. Students need to steer clear of school based funding and seek other resources to fund their education.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
ACT Scores Show Most Students Aren’t Ready for College
According to results released today , the proportion of tested graduating seniors who are “college ready” as defined by the ACT grew from 22 percent in the class of 2008 to 23 percent in the class of 2009. College-readiness levels remained within two-tenths of a percentage point of where they’ve been since 2005.
“We need to increase the number of high school graduates who are prepared to succeed in college,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a statement released through ACT Inc., the Iowa City, Iowa-based nonprofit organization that designs the test.
Many students who take this test get highly discouraged. But what many are not told is that they do not need to take the test to be accepted into College. Students can get accepted to many colleges without ever sitting for this exam.
Many institution have done away with requiring the test due to the fact that the test does not accurately provide information regarding a students ability to achieve or excell in college.
Information regarding schools that do not require the test can be located at www.fairtest.org.
“We need to increase the number of high school graduates who are prepared to succeed in college,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a statement released through ACT Inc., the Iowa City, Iowa-based nonprofit organization that designs the test.
Many students who take this test get highly discouraged. But what many are not told is that they do not need to take the test to be accepted into College. Students can get accepted to many colleges without ever sitting for this exam.
Many institution have done away with requiring the test due to the fact that the test does not accurately provide information regarding a students ability to achieve or excell in college.
Information regarding schools that do not require the test can be located at www.fairtest.org.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Cost is more than its worth!!!
Some of the nation's biggest for-profit colleges and vocational schools are boosting enrollment in tough times by making more loans directly to cash-strapped students, knowing full well many of them probably won't be able to repay what they borrowed.
The schools still make money because the practice boosts their enrollment and brings in tuition dollars subsidized by the government. But some of these students could end up saddled with high interest rates and loan payments they can't handle, a burden that could damage their credit for years to come.
Among the for-profit colleges that are booming are ITT, Corinthian Colleges and Career Education Corp. They and other such institutions have an estimated 1.2 million U.S. students pursuing degrees in such fields as nursing, computers and the culinary arts.
Many students at these schools get thousands of dollars in tuition grants under various government programs, and take out loans to cover the rest of their costs.
But because the economic meltdown has made it harder for students to get bank loans, several of these schools are increasingly stepping in, financing degrees in the same way a furniture store or used-car dealer might extend credit to customers.
Most students have no idea what they are getting into. I have personally been acquainted with students who paid upwards of $90,000 for an associates degree in Auto Mechanics. This means that the student would be strapped with a loan for at least 30 years with no chance of paying it off.
The question you may be asking....is this cost of education worth it? Definitely not!! Any students who wants to attend college can attend college for FREE. And if they choose not to acquire funding the student (or Guardian) should at least shop for an institution before being pushed into classes by a swampland salesman disguised as an academic advisor. There are other things that you should look out for when selecting a school. Visit www.freecollegeeducation.com for more details.
The schools still make money because the practice boosts their enrollment and brings in tuition dollars subsidized by the government. But some of these students could end up saddled with high interest rates and loan payments they can't handle, a burden that could damage their credit for years to come.
Among the for-profit colleges that are booming are ITT, Corinthian Colleges and Career Education Corp. They and other such institutions have an estimated 1.2 million U.S. students pursuing degrees in such fields as nursing, computers and the culinary arts.
Many students at these schools get thousands of dollars in tuition grants under various government programs, and take out loans to cover the rest of their costs.
But because the economic meltdown has made it harder for students to get bank loans, several of these schools are increasingly stepping in, financing degrees in the same way a furniture store or used-car dealer might extend credit to customers.
Most students have no idea what they are getting into. I have personally been acquainted with students who paid upwards of $90,000 for an associates degree in Auto Mechanics. This means that the student would be strapped with a loan for at least 30 years with no chance of paying it off.
The question you may be asking....is this cost of education worth it? Definitely not!! Any students who wants to attend college can attend college for FREE. And if they choose not to acquire funding the student (or Guardian) should at least shop for an institution before being pushed into classes by a swampland salesman disguised as an academic advisor. There are other things that you should look out for when selecting a school. Visit www.freecollegeeducation.com for more details.
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