5 tips for making the transition from an online to a residential student

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Jeremy Carden 1 Comment

My name is Jeremy Carden, and I am a student at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. When it came to deciding why I should become a traditional student instead of an online one, the answer was simple: I could experience more things and meet new people if I moved to a college campus. There were many things I had to adjust to while making the transition between being an online student to becoming a residential student, but the end result was worth it.

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Here are 5 helpful tips for students making that transition:

1. Make sure you keep in contact with your academic adviser and set your course schedule wisely. Being on campus means you can visit your adviser’s office for face-to-face meetings to see firsthand whether or not you are on the right track as opposed to over-the-phone or email conversations.

2. There is nothing wrong with taking online courses while on campus. It helps you keep a sense of independence while also helping you finish a course much faster. Sometimes you cannot afford to take five residential classes due to time being split between a job, friends, and doing homework for other classes. Most online courses are only 8 weeks long as opposed to 16 weeks like a residential course.

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Noodle breaks down the Best Graduate School rankings for 2014.

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Noodle Leave a comment

Are you torn between going on to graduate school or trying to get a job instead? It’s a big decision, especially since graduate school, like undergraduate school, isn’t free.

U.S. News & World Report has released its list of Best Graduate Schools in the hopes of helping students decide which graduate school may be right for them.

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The list highlights rankings in graduate school programs, from business to engineering to library and information studies, and Noodle narrows the list further by listing the five highest-ranked schools in each major category.

>>>>>>>Noodle takes a closer look at the graduate school rankings on the Noodling blog.<<<<<<<

Noodle Education created the first and only life-long education search engine in the world. Noodle.org enables users to find the right school, college, tutor, instruction video, or any other education resource — and it’s free. Headquartered in New York City, Noodle was created in 2011 by a powerhouse team of education innovators from The Princeton Review, 2U, Kaplan, Kumon and Colloquy. The company has been recognized by Forbes Magazine, as “one of the 6 fastest growing tech companies” and hailed by Mashable, as “one of the 5 startups transforming online education.”

Win $10,000 With the Face The Red Sweepstakes!

Posted on June 5, 2013 by SALT Leave a comment

Have you seen our movie, The Red? If not, check it out here. It’s pretty scary.

We made this movie to bring attention to the fact that more than 10 million people under 30 years old have student loans—and many of them are so overwhelmed that they choose to ignore their debt. Now that’s scary.

At SALT™, we want to empower you to Face The Red and tackle the suffocating burden of student debt. And we’re doing it by giving three people $10,000.

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Face The Red™ Sweepstakes

Through July 1, 2013, the Face The Red sweepstakes is giving you the chance to win $10,000 you can use to face your red—whether that’s your education costs, your student loans, or anything else. Signing up is easy:

  • Visit FaceTheRed.com
  • Click the “Face The Red Win $10,000” button
  • Click through to the Facebook “Sign Up For A Chance to Win” button
  • Follow the directions to complete your entry.*

Once you sign up, be sure to check the app every day. We’ll highlight tasks that will not only help you get the smarts to outsmart The Red—but they’ll also earn you extra “entries” into the sweeps! You can gain even more entries by sharing this sweepstakes with your friends on Facebook.

Three lucky participants will win $10,000 a piece, so good luck and click here to sign up now!

*No purchase is required to enter the Face The Red sweepstakes.

Should you live on or off campus? Zinch has the pros and cons to both college living situations.

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Zinch Leave a comment

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You may have picked your next city, your next school, maybe even your next roommate, but what kind of dwelling will you call your humble abode?

Will you live on campus or off? In a traditional dorm, suite, or apartment? Now is a good time to start thinking about what you need from your living situation—those of us who need peace, quiet and time to study should choose a drastically different place than those who need to make friends and memories.

Should you choose to live on campus or off campus?

This choice depends largely on how long you’ve been at your college. As a freshman, choosing to live on campus can mean the difference between making 50 good friends or making 2. For a well-connected junior, on-campus living can be nightmarishly expensive and paternal.

>>>>>>>Zinch weighs the Pros and Cons for you on the More Than A Test Score blog.<<<<<<<

He knows because he’s been there! A college sophomore’s 10 tips for incoming freshmen.

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Victor Yang Leave a comment

Freshman year. Oh, the excitement, and the fears. Moving into your dorm, meeting your floormates for the first time, participating in all of the kickoff events. Thinking back, these are such great memories! I remember it like it was yesterday—because it was!

As an up-and-coming sophomore at Syracuse University, here are my top 10 tips for incoming freshmen getting ready to start college at any school across the country.

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1. Apply for a job. This might seem like a silly first step, but it is an important one! Jobs go fast on college campuses, so if possible, try to get a job before you even step foot in your dorm. Many times during your freshman year, you will find yourself bored, with a lot of free time. A job can supplement the boredom as well as give you a source of income. And if you are worried that your job will cut into your social life, then pick one in the morning to mid-afternoon! Chances are, it should fit in your schedule.

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Tell Mom and Dad you’re actually learning something at the movies this summer.

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Megan Leave a comment

Memorial Day Weekend has come and gone, which means it’s unofficially summertime. Among the many fun activities of the season, beating the heat at the local Cineplex is at the top of many students’ lists. However, you may get ragged by people that cite you’re wasting your time at the movies (especially if you think the latest Hangover movie is going to be as good as the original). But in fact, some of this summer’s blockbusters pertain to what you may be studying or someday study in college.

Here are 5 movies for 5 majors:

1. World War Z and Homeland Security
Zombies have overrun the earth. What do you do? This topic is actually a course at some colleges across the country. Sure, it’s far-fetched (since no real zombie has ever been reported), but zombie movies teach you about planning in the event of a disaster.

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Need inspiration? Check out these commencement speeches.

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Zach Leave a comment

Spring is the equivalent of freedom to thousands of students that will finally graduate from college, and with graduation comes a flood of commencement speeches across campuses nation-wide. I always anticipate graduation season when YouTube comes alive with dozens of commencement speeches from celebrities, notable society figures, or enriched students. For me, these commencement speeches are not only a source of nostalgia for my past graduations, but also a reminder that it is never too late for us to be inspired. They’re a jolt to my batteries, of sorts.

After listening to a bunch of wonderful (and some not so wonderful) speeches, I’ve compiled a list of my top 5 favorites and my favorite nugget of wisdom or inspiration from each. In no particular order…

1. Arianna Huffington – Smith College
While I’m not ranking these speeches, this is definitely one that I found to be pretty interesting. Arianna focuses her main point on the idea of “success” and how society defines the word. Her most valuable point can be summed up when she says, “…success, the way we’ve defined it, is no longer sustainable. It’s not sustainable for human beings; it’s not sustainable for the planet.”


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What do college students have to say about the Most Exciting Nightlife on Whisper?

Posted on May 29, 2013 by College Prowler & Whisper Leave a comment

Parents and teachers may tell you that the most important aspect of college is academics, but having a way to let off some steam is another important factor.

Late-night conversations over coffee, movie marathons, dancing to local bands at a popular campus bar—these are just a few things that students enjoy on college campuses across the country. Not only does nightlife often help students unwind, but it’s also a good way for them to bond with their peers and make friends/memories to last a lifetime.

So what do students have to say about the late-night atmosphere on their college campuses? They’re taking to Whisper, the app and website that makes public secrets, to sound off on the campuses with the Most Exciting Nightlife.

DoSomething.Org combats texting-while-driving with Thumb Wars

Posted on May 29, 2013 by College Prowler & DoSomething Leave a comment

One-two-three-four, I declare a Thumb War!

DoSomething.Org is declaring war on your thumbs. Not because they’re against the digit all-together: It’s how teens are using them on the phone while they drive that’s troubling.

Did you know that car crashes are the No. 1 killer of teens in the United States? And many times, these deaths are due to texting while driving. Thumb Wars encourages teens to educate themselves and their friends on the dangers of texting behind the wheel, and the campaign is doing so by urging high schoolers to sign up to receive a free pair of thumb socks, as you can see in the photo below.

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After you get your free pair of thumb socks in the mail, take a picture of a friend or family member who texts and drives wearing the handy accessory (the socks serve as a reminder NOT to text). Then, submit the photos online, and DoSomething will feature them in a gallery and the submitter could win one of four Thumb Wars scholarships. The campaign runs until August 2.

To get your free thumb socks and get started, click here.