Unhealthy College Habits to Avoid

Everyone tells you what you need to pack for college, what classes you should take, but no one talks about tips for staying healthy. I came across an article on Fox News recently, that gave 5 tips for college students. All are very obvious to those of us who have graduated from college, but for those of you who are on your way, they are tips worth following.
1. Community Bathroom Blunders – why flipflops are essential
2. Avoiding the Caffeine
3. Eating Well – don’t eat out of a microwave
4. Binge Drinking – just don’t do it
5. Unprotected Sex

To read more in detail, take a look at 5 Unhealthy College Habits to Avoid in the Coming Semester

Textbooks Just Got Cheaper

It used to be that you had to budget $500 per semester for textbooks.  When the semester was over, you could try selling them back, but your $100 textbook would only be worth $5 three months later.  I know that most of mine ended up in a box in the attic as I didn’t have the heart to sell them back for next to nothing.

Well, life just got simplier for college students, who, according to The New York Times, can now rent textbooks from Cengage Learning, one of the largest textbook publishers. They will be offering several hundred titles for rent for the first time ever this fall. Students will save from 60% to 80% and will have immediate electronic access to the first chapter with the actual book shipped thereafter. Other rental companies like Chegg who has partnered with McGraw-Hill and Bookrenter offer massive discounts of up to 85%. 

Other deals are out there too. Students can search for used books on websites like CheapestTextbooks.com to find good bargins. At the University of Washington, 150 graduate students will receive a Kindle loaded with all their textbooks as part of a new nationwide pilot program. UW will be one of seven universities taking part in the program, and providing critical feedback to Amazon about their experience.

It is a win-win situation for all, as publishers can make a lot of money off of just one book, and students can reap the deep discounts and have a little pocket change leftover. The highlighter industry might suffer though.

Budget Cuts Reach College Athletics

The economy has impacted college campuses across the nation in many ways. At some, budget shortfalls have eliminated arts programs, while at others, faculty and staff have been let go. Many more have seen their endowments shrink which has led to tough choices.

Think that college athletics are immune? You would guess wrong. With the economic turndown, more and more college athletic programs are dropping varsity sports.  You might even be surprised where it is happening and what sports are getting the big cut.

At the University of Washington men’s and women’s swimming teams have been eliminated and at the University of Massachusetts it’s their men’s and women’s ski teams, saving the University $100,000. Pepperdine has cut men’s track and Kutztown College has cut men’s swimming and soccer. Colorado College has cut football, softball and water polo and Johns Hopkins University has cut men’s and women’s crew.  Western Washington University has cut football and UC Irvine has cut swimming, rowing, diving and sailing. MIT seems to have experienced the largest cuts, eliminating ice hockey, skiing, gymnastics, shooting, golf and wrestling. The list goes on and on, and it seems that more are announced each day.

Some universities are cutting back in other ways, in order to save the programs.  Princeton will no longer print media guides, Washington State U will use buses for trips under 400 miles, and at the University of Miami, football players will have to get off the private jet and hop on the bus to play games in Florida.  Some universities, like Central Florida, are increasing student fees to help with budget woes.

Other are trying to boost their revenues to stay profitable. Corporate sponsorship will be seen at the Georgia Dome when Alabama plays Virginia Tech at the “new” Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in September. 

High school athletes should do some research to ensure that their program of choice is not in jeopardy.  Here today, gone tomorrow.

Are We Losing the Arts in Liberal Arts?

The New York Times featured an article on August 9th that highlighted how the arts are weathering college budget cuts across the nation.

In response to a mandated $54 million cut at Washington State University in Pullman, WA, the university has decided to pull the plug on theatre arts and dance.  Wesleyan College’s Center for the Arts (which is home to dance, theatre, music and visual arts) is losing 14% of its $1.2 million budget.  Florida State University is phasing out their Arts Education major as well as two graduate theatre programs. Northern Arizona University is also cutting their Theatre Education major. Middlebury College’s Museum of Art needs to cut its budget by 10% and their prestigious literary magazine may be axed altogether. Others are cutting budgets and reducing visiting faculty members, which could ultimately leave the student body shortchanged. Professors are quick to point out that large lecture halls may work for business majors, but it does not work when teaching painting or voice.

Is this a trend of the future? 

Is your major still available at your favorite college?