What Should College Graduates Know

What Should College Graduates Know

Years of education, of knowledge, of learning, but what exactly does it amount to? Are college grads actually better at certain tasks than non grads, and how much more qualified are they than non grads? These questions are continuously asked and are nearly impossible to correctly answer. But, the Lumina Foundation released a report published in an article in the Washington Post, addressing these exact questions. The report seeks to define what college graduates should be able to do. It concluded that college graduates, despite field of study, should demonstrate abilities in five areas of competence. According to the study, graduates should ... Read More About What Should College Graduates Know

What To Ask During A College Visit

What To Ask During A College Visit

  It's the season for college visits, and high school seniors are gearing up to get a first peak at what may be their future for the next four years or more.  Seeing the campus buildings, talking to enthusiastic alumni, and being pampered by admissions officials may be fun, but students should go prepared with detailed questions. A recent article from CollegeView offers some great questions to ask during your next college visit.  Here is a sampling of the questions: 1. What are your most well-known programs? This is a better question than asking, "Is such and such program good at this college?"  The vast majority of c ... Read More About What To Ask During A College Visit

To Learn More Keep Testing Yourself

To Learn More Keep Testing Yourself

It turns out that taking a test isn’t just a teacher’s easy way of finding out where students stand or forcing them to read a chapter in a textbook.  Testing might actually boost student learning and improve memory retention, according to a report cited in the New York Times. The report, published in the journal Science, concluded that students who read a passage and were then tested a week later on what they read retained about 50%  more of the information than students who used other, common study methods. The other methods students used were repeatedly studying the material “cramming” and creating detaile ... Read More About To Learn More Keep Testing Yourself

Rhee Launches Student Advocacy Group

Rhee Launches Student Advocacy Group

After stepping down as Washington D.C.'s public schools chief, Michelle Rhee has decided to create her own organization to lead, StudentsFirst.  She is touting it as a national level platform with which to advance education reforms that put students first.  A pledge to raise $1 billion has already been issued to support the organization.  Critics and supporters alike have already drawn battle lines. Much remains to be seen as to whether Rhee can implement real educational advancements, or if she produces more rhetoric than action. Read more about Rhee's work in the Wall Street Journal article, or browse the StudentsFirst websi ... Read More About Rhee Launches Student Advocacy Group

Social Media And College Admissions

Social Media And College Admissions

Admission officials are trying to shed their old, stuffy, always buttoned-up image and trying to appear more “cool” and approachable to prospective college students, according to an article in the Washington Post. They are doing so to respond to many high school students who decided against the traditional essay and paper application, the students who got creative with their applications, producing YouTube videos and other materials. Many officials, across the nation, representing various different colleges that followed their prospective students, are diving into popular social mediums and creating their own YouTube videos, blog ... Read More About Social Media And College Admissions