Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Income Based Student Loan Repayment Plan

http://www.finaid.org/loans/ibr.phtml

Learn about the new income based student loan repayment plan. Will the loan forgiveness program affect you or someone you know?

What type of school did you/do you envision attending?

http://chronicle.com/news/article/6749/most-graduating-seniors-will-attend-the-kind-of-college-they-prefer-survey-finds

Are you attending the type of college you thought you would, or are you a "switcher?"

Friday, July 24, 2009

Advice on the Job Search

Advice for the novice and the veteran:

http://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2009/06/26/potter

Have any job search tips of your own? Post them here for other readers!

Finding a Job Despite the Grim Market

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/03/business/economy/03jobs.html?_r=1&hp

"…Businesses are still cutting positions and imposing pay cuts and hiring freezes as the economy continues to contract."

If you're a student nearing graduation, what are you doing to give yourself a head start on finding a job in this tough market?

Thursday, July 23, 2009

How are Americans Spending Their Time?

Check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics summary of the American Time Use Survey:

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/atus.nr0.htm

What do you spend most of your time doing every day? Are you matching up with the statistics on the BLS summary?

So You're Writing a Dissertation…

Check out the advice from a woman who knows how it feels:

http://www.insidehighered.com/advice/dissertation/single

Author Peg Boyle Single points out the necessity of "prewriting." What are your tips on writing a successful dissertation?

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

E-books: The Death of the Common Textbook?

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0130/p13s01-algn.html

Furthermore, says Mr. Nash, of Soft Skull, "Independent publishers have the most to gain from electronic publishing. Every tech innovation has in theory benefited us, by lowering the barriers of entry and making it easier to achieve economies of scale, or by making economies of scale less important. The critical thing right now," he continues, "is that the reproduction costs for digital books is zero. The major advantage of corporate publishers is that they have the capital to print large runs of books. One doesn't need capital to generate large quantities of digital downloads."

E-books are forcing the publishing industry to evolve. Do you think an e-textbook would hamper or help study habits? If you've ever used an electronic book or textbook, let us know your reaction.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Obama Cuts Billions from Medicare & Medicaid Budget

http://www.topix.com/topstories#health-care

Obama is cutting out billions from Medicare and Medicaid to fuel his administration's health care reform. Is this a smart move?

World Conference on Higher Education

http://www.unesco.org/en/education/single-view/news/world_conference_on_higher_education_closes_with_an_appeal_for_investment_and_cooperation/back/9712/

The World Conference on Higher Education included 1,000 participants from 150 countries. The consensus: More government investment is needed for higher education.

Should governments around the globe fund higher education?

Friday, July 17, 2009

Juggling Studies, Work, & Kids

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/nyregion/06homeless.html?ref=education

“'After class, I go home to my shelter, change my clothes, do some homework, drop off my son at my mom’s house and go back to work,” said Ms. Coffer, who had bloodshot eyes from lack of sleep…'"

Many people eager to pursue a higher education must fight against the restrictions imposed by their non-academic lives, as seen in the above New York Times online article.

What facets of your life do you have to juggle in order to attain your degree?

Health Care Industry Job Outlook: Still Healthy According to Bureau of Labor Statistics

http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs035.htm#outlook

"Health care will generate 3 million new wage and salary jobs between 2006 and 2016, more than any other industry. Seven of the twenty fastest growing occupations are health care related."

It's nice to see some
good news once in a while. If you're one of the lucky few making your way in the health care field, tell us about your job prospects. Is the market really as good as they say, or are you feeling the recession too?

Obama's Challenge: One Year of Higher Education for All

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/24/AR2009042402380.html

In April, President Obama challenged every American to take on at least one year of higher education or advanced training.

If the majority of U.S. citizens end up attaining degrees, what impacts could this pose to our economy and society at large?