So you are at the supermarket. You are standing in the aisle that features a gazillion different types of toilet paper wondering which product you should buy.

If you were home, you could Google-search each brand to see which one might be the most ecologically sound to purchase. Of course, if you were so inclined, you could also whip out your cell phone, get online and start the process right at the store.

But as amazing as Google is as a search engine and as amazing as the world wide web is as a data storage system, the idea of researching which toilet paper is the most ecologically-sound purchase is currently far too cumbersome to enact while standing in the aisle.

However, not too surprisingly, some folks have begun asking, is there a way we could make such information available to the purchaser, a process that might allow us to access the available data via that cell phone without ever taking the device out of our pocket? And could there be a way to transfer the data stored on the web via the cell phone so as to appear on the very package you are considering purchasing?

Sixth Sense

As far-fetched as that might sound, the idea forms the basis for the work of two cutting edge researchers, Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry.

Maes is well known for her contributions related to media work having been a key architect behind the concept called “collaborative filtering” (the principles used to generate music at Pandora.com). An associate professor in MIT’s Program in Media Arts and Sciences, Maes founded and currently directs the Media Lab’s Fluid Interfaces group. Mistry, a PhD student within the Fluid Interfaces Group, is deemed the genius behind this new concept called Sixth Sense.

Combining two electronic devices already readily available to most people, a camera and a cell phone, with two not currently as ‘en vogue,’ a portable projector and a mirror, these researchers have built a prototype device that plugs into the net in an entirely new way. The ingenious, not-so-chic, wearable device truly allows one to rethink the ways in which humans and computers interact.

With Sixth Sense, “the computer is no longer a distinct object, but a source of intelligence that’s embedded in our environment.” Then “by outfitting ourselves with digital accessories,” we are able to “continually learn from (and teach) our surroundings.”

The concept essentially turns your entire world into a computer, a step that allows us to build upon the use of our five natural senses to evaluate our surroundings. In doing so, it adds the most powerful element possible as the data stored on the world-wide web becomes available to provide one more evaluator.

Digital World Meets the Physical World

Most noticeably, the device is the first attempt to link connected digital devices directly to the physical world. Instead of information being confined to paper or to a screen connected to a computer, every physical object has the potential to become a computer interface.

The projector and the camera are both connected to whatever mobile computing device might be in the user’s pocket. The projector projects the visual information onto whatever surface is available: a wall, a table, even your hand.

But the real genius lies in the ability to use natural hand gestures and arm movements to interact with the information being made available. The camera is able to recognize a user’s hand gestures through computer-vision based techniques.

Imagine using your finger to sketch the @ symbol in the air and immediately having your email projected upon the wall in front of you? How about placing your fingers and hands into a framing gesture and having the camera snap a picture? Or drawing a circle on your wrist to have the device project an analog watch onto your arm?

Perhaps, with the right gesture, even helping you decide which toilet paper to purchase.

It seems that the concept of YouTube, as popular as it is, is not producing the revenue streams needed to support its existence. Firmly ensconced in this viewer’s life, that development makes me fearful.

Where else might we go today to see amateurs and professionals alike creating music and posting comedy. Of course, the fact that the selective taste lies totally with the viewer remains the key element of YouTube’s attractiveness.

Here are at least nine reasons why YouTube rocks.

We begin with one of those enormously creative how to videos:

Other great how-to videos include Captain Kirk’s How to Kiss a Woman (be sure to watch it until it concludes) and how to make some remotely viable use of giant Tesla Coils.

Tiger Woods is currently the greatest golfer on the planet and likely the best of all time. He didn’t get that way without a relentless desire to succeed. His appeal to youngsters is as legendary as his temper and thus we get this YouTube “Be Like” Tiger video:

Of course, something does not set quite right when adults use a cute little girl to make their point but it sure should get people thinking.

Once upon a time, one could never imagine the likes of this amateur, oldy but goody, ever being seen by 60,000,000 million folks. OK, it is much too long but:

Yes this promotes T-Mobile but lord do I love to see Grammy and Grampa and the guy with Lyle Lovett hair-do get down:

You can even see how it is they came to pull this off.

It wasn’t too long ago that one might never have a chance to see their favorite rocker, John Hiatt, playing his perfectly good guitar in a phenomenal unplugged version of Tennessee Plates.

OK so most folks go for Perfectly Good Guitar or his brilliant Have a Little Faith in Me but we still like the acoustic stuff better.

Of course, we now get multiple cracks at Frank Caliendo, whether it be his Bush/Clinton routine or John Madden. Every now and then we watch this montage he did on Letterman that flows from one character to the next.

September marks the seventh anniversary of the passing of the genius who gave us Werewolves of London, The Envoy, the absolutely rocking and diabolical Excitable Boy, and Lawyers, Guns and Money. As he battled cancer knowing his days were numbered he wrote Keep Me in your Heart for A While, a tune one aspiring artist and filmmaker, Hammy Woodchuck, used to honor the man’s legacy.

Then there is the chance to see again and again those wondrous renditions that formed the Playing for Change series. From Stand by Me, Don’t Worry, Bring It On Home, Chanda Mama and the absolutely stunning rendition of Bob Marley’s One Love:

The brilliance of comedians like Robin Williams, George Carlin and Richard Pryor who can deliver some of the most off-color humor imaginable or straight up intellectual humor like:

Alexa Re Rancourt may be just 18-years-old but her resume is ripe with accomplishments. One of the more amazing came this summer when she took home her second straight Maine Amateur Golf Championship in astonishing fashion.

The now freshman at Furman University posted a three round, one under par total of 215 at a challenging Augusta Country Club layout. What made the accomplishment so astonishing was that Rancourt’s closest challenger was Debby Gardner of the Waterville CC. Gardner posted a three day total of 238, a full 23 strokes behind Rancourt’s pace.

But the 2009 Valedictorian of The Pendleton School in Bradenton, FL is now well-known for setting such pace. She not only won the 2007 Maine Junior Championship by posting the best score in the qualifying round, she went on to close out the title by winning her match play rounds 10 & 8, 8 & 7 and 6 & 5.

And despite the fact she just completed high school, she has also posted a 4th and a 5th place finish at the 2008 and 2009 New England Women’s Amateur Championships.

In addition to her 4.4 GPA, Rancourt somehow has found the time to perform in local Maine theaters and to work on her many dance moves (12 years of street funk, hip hop, jazz, or ballet). Perhaps even more importantly, the gifted young athlete is also in the habit of giving back to the community through her numerous volunteers efforts.

Whether it be fundraising with “Art from the Heart,” mentoring in the Buddy Lunch program at a local elementary school, or working with Habitat for Humanity, Rancourt’s volunteer time clearly demonstrates that not all of today’s youngsters are focused solely on themselves.

Just prior to the start of her freshman year at Furman, we spent some time talking with Alexa regarding the challenges of balancing academics and time for the game of golf, her decision to attend Furman on a combined academic and athletic scholarship, and what the game of golf has taught her about being a better person and student.

Can you talk a little bit about when and how you became interested in the game of golf?

My grandfather and my dad got me started with my first set of golf clubs when I was about 5. I didn’t take an immediate liking to it though. Actually, besides driving the cart and trying to hit the ball as far off the tee as I could, I didn’t find much interest in the game at all. Then, when I was in 8th grade, my dad and I took a winter road trip to Myrtle Beach, SC and played 8 rounds of golf in a week. I’m not exactly sure what is was about that trip, but on our way back home I remember telling my dad that I was hooked, and that golf was something that I wanted to pursue.

You are still considered a resident of Maine yet you attend the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Can you explain to our readers how you came to attend school in Florida? How important has this prestigious school been in your development as a player?

Because of my interest in golf and the lack of a season in Maine, my parents and I began looking at schools down south when I was entering my freshman year in high school. I ended up staying at Waynflete in Maine for my freshman year, but I knew that I wanted to go somewhere warm after that, somewhere where I could take golf more seriously. At first we looked at public schools in South Carolina and Florida but then my dad came across a few different golf academies (DLGA and one in Hilton Head, SC). I visited IMG Academy (which is the name of the entire sports academy that DLGA is a part of) and absolutely fell in love with it. The school itself has played an integral part in my growth as a golfer; the coaching, the facilities and the scheduling have all helped me to develop my game. However, just being in Florida and playing in tournaments against some of the best juniors in the country has helped me improve immensely.

I see where you graduated first in your class at Pendleton. Can you talk a little about the school, its size, your academic program there, etc.?

Pendleton is a fairly small school. I don’t know the exact size, but there were 114 students in my graduating class, which gives you an idea. It’s a fairly new private school (I think it was founded about 10 years ago) and it was started specifically for student-athletes at IMG Academies. Because of this, it’s right on the campus of the sports academy and anyone who attends the school is also part of the sports program (basketball, soccer, tennis, golf or baseball). The classes are split up into morning and afternoon blocks, depending on when your practices are. For example, I played golf in the morning so after lunch I would attend my classes. My first one was at 12:45 and on days that I had two classes I got out at 3:30. On alternating days, when I had three classes, I got out of class at 5:00. The program was really well organized in the fact that the teachers were very understanding of travel for tournaments and a lot of classes actually did online work so that you could take your work with you easily if you had to leave for long periods of time on tournament.

strong>I understand you will be attending Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina this fall on a combined academic and athletic scholarship. How does a combined scholarship differ from a traditional athletic scholarship? Are there specific academic requirements that must be met?

My scholarship is about 75% athletic and 25% academic. The distribution of the athletic money is decided completely by the golf coach. Each sports team has a certain number of scholarships that they can give out and they can break them up or distribute them any way that the coach sees fit. For example, my golf team has six scholarships, but the coach could break it up any way she wants. This also means that depending on your performance from year to year, the coach can reassess the scholarships and then add or remove money for each player. As far as my academic scholarship goes, it’s based on my grades and test scores and transcripts from high school. In order to keep the academic scholarship from year to year I just have to keep above a 3.0 GPA. Initially, I thought that I wanted a full athletic scholarship but looking back I am actually glad that it was split between golf and academics because it means I am being recognized by the school in both areas of achievement, golf and academics.

How did you come to select Furman as your school? What will be your major and what are your future goals related to that major?

Furman was one of the last schools that I talked to for golf. I contacted Jen (my golf coach at Furman) at the beginning of my senior year, which is pretty late when it comes to recruiting. I talked to her a little bit through email and knew that I liked what I saw when it came to the golf program. She invited me on what’s called an “official visit,” which is where the school pays for the entire trip (flights, food, housing, etc.) and I went and spent 48 hours with the team at the school. When Jen first drove me onto the campus, about an hour after my flight arrived, I knew then and there that Furman was going to be a perfect fit for me. I got that feeling that everyone talks about where you “just know”. The rest of the trip just got better from there, and when Jen brought me back to the airport two days later and made the scholarship offer I knew that I was going to say yes. This was in the first week of November, 2008. The early signing period for athletes was the following week so I signed my letter of intent then and applied early decision. It was nice because while all of my friends were filling out pages and pages of multiple college applications, I only had to fill out one!

Right now, I am undecided on a major. I love English, so my initial thought would be something that allows me to pursue writing and literature (i.e. Journalism or an English major) but I’m really not committed to anything yet. As far as future plans, I want to play on the LPGA Tour after college. Since much of my attention is focused on achieving this goal, I haven’t thought much about plans related to whatever my major is. Once I select a major, I’m sure I will have a better idea of future plans related to that path should golf not work out.

Can you explain to our readers your golf training regimen, both the fitness segment and how you go about practicing the game?

I work out three to four times a week. When I was at IMG, we had a workout routine based mostly around core and strength training with a lot of weights. However, the weights can often make you more tight and less flexible and therefore restrict the golf swing. Our college workout is much more to my liking because we work three times a week (as a team) with a pilates instructor who teaches golf-specific workouts. In just two weeks of this workout, I have already become more aware of my body and how it should be functioning in my swing.

As far as practice goes, I spend at least four hours every day working on my game. My coach gives us drills each day which help us to have a focus in our practice so that we aren’t just hitting as many balls as possible or aimlessly making putts. Instead we have goals, such as “make 10 three footers from four different sides of the hole” or “hit 20 balls, alternating between driver and 8 iron, going through your full routine and picking a different shot to hit each time”. The majority of the practice time (when we are on the range) is spent on short game; I would say, about 75% of the time. We normally play three times a week. Whether it’s 9 holes or 18, it’s a chance for us to implement our practice on the golf course.

Can you give our readers some hints as to how you balance your commitment to the game with your school responsibilities?

Sometimes the balance can be hard but I feel like I enjoy my school work and learning just as much as I enjoy being on the golf course. Because of this, it’s not so much an issue of balancing my commitment as it is just staying on top of my time management. IMG really helped me in this aspect because the schedule is very similar to that of a college athlete. I had to learn early on (in my sophomore year of high school) how to schedule things so that I had time for practice, studying and socializing. I think the key to this is prioritizing. For example, golf practice and my classes are the main priorities and then I schedule studying time around that. The remaining time is left for any number of things; socializing, relaxing, more practice, etc. Time management is key to being a successful student athlete, whether it’s at the high school or college level.

You have a number of other interests beyond golf – the theater and dance among others! Can you talk a little about your background in these areas? Will you continue to do both of these activities while at Furman?

I have always loved the performing arts (theater, dance and singing). My dad is a musician, he plays casually now but it used to be how he made his living. I’ve grown up around music and singing my entire life, so singing, whether it be in front of people or just around the house, has always been a part of me. I stopped dancing when I went to Florida three years ago, but it is definitely something that I would love to get back into. In fact, I think that it would be extremely beneficial for my golf game because it keeps you flexible and limber. Theater has been an interest of mine for a while, as well. The last production that I was in was about two years ago but I would love to try to get into some plays here at Furman, even if they are just small shows. It’s difficult in the fall and the spring because our schedule with golf is so time consuming, but I am hoping that I have a little bit of time in the winter to pursue some of these activities a little more seriously.

What serves as your best emotional outlet? The game of golf? One of the aforementioned activities? Other?

Golf is definitely a great emotional outlet for me. I feel so at home on the golf course that I tend to forget about whatever is happening off the course. One of my favorite emotional outlets besides golf though is definitely writing. Whether it’s just scribbling down my thoughts or taking those thoughts and forming them into poetry, I feel like writing allows me to release my emotions, happy or sad, and put them into a useful and creative form.

You have been involved in a number of community service activities as well. Can you talk a little bit about those activities and why you do them? Are there similar types of activities you hope to be involved with at Furman?

Community service is very important to me. I have been given so much in my 18 years, from my parents, grandparents, school and even people that I don’t know. I feel extremely fortunate to have been given all the opportunities that I have had and I feel that through community service, I can give some of that back. I’ve helped out with Habitat for Humanity before and I think that’s one of my favorite service activities because it’s extremely hands on and you have a clear visual of the work that you are doing to help somebody else. I also really enjoy working with kids. I’ve helped out with the First Tee and a few other junior golf clinics for girls and those have been incredibly enjoyable. My team just did a clinic for young girls a week ago and it was great to see the interest that the girls had in golf at such a young age. Jen, my coach, is very big on community service and giving back so we already have some activities planned for the year. Actually, one of the reasons why I loved Furman so much when I came on my official visit was because I built a doghouse with the team for a charity that rescues neglected and abused dogs. My golf team, and Furman in general, puts a huge emphasis on giving back to the community.

Do you think golf as a game has helped you become a better person? A better student academically? If so how?

It definitely has. Golf is a game of honestly and integrity and I think that to become a successful golfer it demands that you have a certain level of maturity. The game of golf teaches you to accept responsibility for your actions, because whether you play well or you play badly, it lies completely in your own hands. To play at the competitive level that I am now at, you have to have diligence and focus and a desire to better yourself on and off the golf course. So yes, I believe that golf has helped me develop into a stronger individual which has in turn helped me on the course and in the classroom.

You have a number of accomplishments thus far in your young life. Which one has brought you the greatest satisfaction and why?

I think it’s a draw between two moments. Getting a full scholarship to college has been one of my greatest moments so far. It was extremely satisfying for me because it was a goal that I had been working towards since my freshman year of high school and it felt very good to have achieved it. Also, my parents sacrificed so much for me in order to allow me the opportunity to pursue golf and it felt great to be able to tell them that my college education would not cost them a penny. Also at the top of my list though is when I qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur this past summer. My goal is to play on the LPGA Tour and for me, qualifying for the Amateur, one of the most prestigious tournaments at the amateur level, helped to show me that I am on the right track to achieving my goals in golf. Plus, I had so much support from friends and family and even from people that I didn’t know personally. It was amazing experience to go to St. Louis and compete, knowing that I had so much support back home in Maine.

We have cautioned students on more than one occasion to think very carefully about the items they post on their social networking profile. The stories of Stacy Snyder and Kevin Colvin provide great examples of why one must carefully guard their personal online brand.

Of course, many current students as well as adults in their twenties and thirties have cried foul over what they deem an invasion into their private worlds. They argue that doing something on their own time, whether it be in poor taste or not, should play no role in their everyday world of work.

Prospective and current college students with such a mindset need to think again – even those who understand the need for student privacy note that using social networking profiles for admissions or job-placement is reasonable.

S. Craig Watkins

To get a sense of the thresholds for using profiles, we turn to the Wired Campus blog at the Chronicle of Higher Education and the recent Q & A with S. Craig Watkins, an associate professor of radio, TV, and film at the University of Texas at Austin. Watkins recently penned “The Young and the Digital: What the Migration to Social Network Sites, Games, and Anytime, Anywhere Media Means for Our Future” and is deemed an expert in matters related to the “new age of social networking and media.”

Indeed, Professor Watkins seems to have a great sense as to what the current crop of college students bring to their respective campuses. He rightly acknowledges that we digital natives are tired of the lecture format and therefore want a more engaging learning environment.

He also notes that we prefer a classroom that actively utilizes the vast world of technology and all its elements (laptops, netbooks, pda’s and cell phones) to enhance the learning environment.

Given his stature and understanding of current culture, students must carefully consider his insight into the whole Facebook and MySpace privacy discussion.

Online Profiles and Digital Monitoring

Watkins is clear about one trend he is not in favor of, that of colleges policing material on social networking sites, specifically to determine if the postings represent facets of campus life. When asked if it is a college administrator’s responsibility to be checking up on students through online profiles, Watkins states:

“I would encourage universities not to use technologies in that way — as a surveillance mechanism or tool. I would be reluctant to agree with or believe that’s an appropriate use of the tool.”

But while Watkins sees the monitoring of such sites as off limits for policing students, he offers a very different view when it comes to college admissions officers looking through student profiles when screening applicants.

“I don’t necessarily have a problem with that,” states Watkins. “The problem becomes if they start fishing for unflattering or potentially damaging kind of content — pictures or wall posts — sort of deliberately using it to hunt for that kind of content, as opposed to simply trying to make maybe a better informed, insightful admission decision about a student. It is an opportunity to learn about people’s interest, the kinds of things they are engaged in, in terms of community-related issues and social issues. In that sense, it does provide a window into a person’s life, and into a person’s interests that can be a value to an admissions committee.”

And as for employers looking, Watkins insists it is now a permanent part of the hiring landscape.

“That’s becoming more and more of a common practice. Graduating students, one of the things that they indicated is that when they went out for interviews for jobs, one of the first thing they were asked is, ‘Are you on MySpace?’ or, ‘Are you on Facebook?’ Their potential employers wanted to get access to their profiles.”

Clearly, when it comes to selecting a new employee businesses want to be certain they are making the right choice. And because of the importance to them in making the right hire, students can expect potential employers to do some digging to see if they turn up anything negative.

Not too surprisingly, Watkins notes that such questions routinely cause a certain amount of panic among the group of students who have failed to consider the importance of their personal brand. In a flurry of activity, they attempt to undo any damage that has been years in the making.

Don’t be one of the foolish ones – carefully think about everything you post online. While it is possible, sometimes, to take down questionable materials prior to the wrong person seeing them, the chance that you will miss something is very high.

And don’t try to convince yourself that decision-makers looking at such profiles is somehow an invasion of privacy. If something should truly be kept private, then don’t post it online.

Flickr photo courtesy of Stabilo Boss.

OK, so you are talking with a fellow student and he insists that he, and his lady friend, have a long-established relationship, one that began in high school. You are both somewhat amazed that they are still an item, their relationship still going strong after three, four, maybe even five years.

The person makes it sound like an eternity and well, when we are still in our late teens or early twenties, four or five years is a long time. After all, it represents a full 20 to 25 percent of the time we have been in existence. Actually, since we can’t remember years one to four much at all, the time represents upwards of 35 percent of our life to date.

Of course, the older folks chuckle at our incredibly naive view. This past week it was easy to understand why.

Together Forever?

It was the kind of news that spread like internet virus. Touching and amazing all at the same time.

It seems that Britain’s current longest married couple recently came to the “death do us part” stage of their marriage. On September 1st, at the ripe old age of 101, Frank Milford of Plymouth went to meet his maker.

That meant his wife Anita was now on her own for the first time in 81 years.

Yep, 81 years.

According to the BBC, the couple met at a YMCA dance in Plymouth, Devon, in 1926. Two years later they took their vows.

The closest they likely came to being separated was during World War II. Again, according to the BBC, “during the Blitz they narrowly escaped two bombs, including one which fell on their house.”

The incredibly sweet couple acknowledged their secret – the Milfords’ insisted their marriage was one of “give and take” and a little time for some romance. They were still together in an assisted living center at the time of Frank’ death.

While one might be astonished by the incredible length of time the couple had been together, it seems they fell short of becoming the longest married couple in Britain. Mr. and Mrs. Milford would have had to spend another six months together, until February of 2010, to claim the longest British marriage ever, a mark held by Thomas and Elizabeth Morgan of Caerleon, South Wales, a total of 81 years and 60 days (Guinness World Records).

My first semester of college was an enormous wake-up call. For starters, the academic expectations were easily a shelf above those I had seen in high school.

But the greatest difference involved what I now call the level of hand-holding. As opposed to those wonderful and understanding high school teachers, my professors made only casual reminders of long-term assignments and they never postponed an exam simply because some students did not understand the material.

Simply stated, I made some mistakes my first semester that cost me dearly – by the time Christmas rolled around there wasn’t a single A to be found on my grade report and in at least two cases, classes that should have resulted in B’s had turned to C’s.

Fortunately, I had greater expectations for myself. I also was a relatively fast-learner – I say relatively fast because it did take me one full semester to figure things out.

Established students will likely find my missteps obvious but perhaps those of you starting your first semester can learn from my “Seven First-Semester Mistakes.”

Mistake 1. Failing to Realize You Are on Your Own

This one of course is one of those obvious ones for established students but it permeated my first semester of school.

The best thing about going to college is you finally are on your own. There will be no one nagging you about getting to bed at a certain hour or about spending too much time at the gym. No one, not even your resident assistant, will be hovering over you, asking you about whether or not your homework is done or when your next test is coming.

At the same time, the academic expectations begin with the very first class. Add to that fact that semesters are short on class time (much less frequent than in high school) and you soon learn that you have much greater work expectations between class sessions than you ever did in high school.

Still, the academics pale next to the expectation that you are, and will be, a responsible young adult. Ultimately, the nagging is replaced with a basic assumption that you are old enough to handle responsibilities without being reminded of them daily.

Mistake 2. Being Unorganized

Another major mistake I made was the failure to create a master schedule of my courses and the assignments for the semester. Though I did create a notebook with separate sections with each syllabus, I never synthesized the materials on one master calendar.

The bottom line was that many times I got caught not looking far enough ahead. On more than one occasion I found myself running out of time as materials became due or test dates arrived.

That first semester I learned the importance of taking the entire syllabus for each course and plotting all daily assignments, major projects/papers and exams on one master calendar. Doing so in future semesters helped me to understand that while this Tuesday I might have had little to do, next Tuesday the expectations might be so great I would need to be up half the night to complete all that was expected.

Every Sunday night I would review the upcoming week in detail, then scan the expectations for the following two weeks to see what I should begin working on ahead of time. Of course, creating such a calendar is a time-consuming first task – but it was a life-saver in future semesters.

Mistake 3. Being Unorganized – Redux

The second organizational aspect related to retaining all materials for the semester in their appropriate notebook. Those materials included all the original handouts, the additional ones provided during the semester and all returned assignments, quizzes and tests.

On many occasions I spent five, ten or even fifteen minutes searching for a certain document that was on my desk somewhere. On other occasions, I actually lost some graded materials, papers I could have definitely used in preparation for final exams.

I learned that first semester that I would receive and produce more materials than I ever did in high school and that taking care of those materials when I received them saved countless hours of time over the course of a semester.

Mistake 4. Multiple Course Sections Are Available

Another element I learned the hard way was that at college you had choices as to which courses and sections you opted to take. You can pick classes according to your learning style as well as quality of teaching.

For example, lecture-based classes were not my forte and taking them on Tuesday and Thursday meant longer class periods and an even greater test of my attention span. Such classes were far more manageable for me following a Monday-Wednesday-Friday format.

Perhaps even more importantly, the multiple sections of courses means you do not have to put up with a low quality instructor. That first semester I mistakenly sucked it up and stuck out two such classes, both to my detriment.

College is difficult enough without having to try to deal with poor quality instruction or a disorganized professor. In such cases, even first semester freshman can seek another section of the course immediately.

Mistake 5. Thinking Your Dorm Room Is a Great Place to Study

The need for a quiet place to do some real studying is essential. Yes, most times you can work in your dorm room or the lounge, but no matter how good your roommates or dorm-mates are, even at the quietest moments there will be distractions.

To get some real focused time you must find a place where you can truly disappear. I have heard some say you must find a cave somewhere on campus.

They exist – I found mine in the back stacks of the library. And you must use your place whenever you need to find some real quiet time.

Most importantly, you and only you, the young adult, can determine when such a time is needed.

Mistake 6. Asking for or Accepting Extensions

Because of my somewhat lackluster organizational skills, I remember struggling to complete one major paper for my Economics class. As I stated earlier, I simply had not plotted out an overview of the semester and all of sudden I seemed to be struggling to find the time to meet a group of expectations as final exams approached.

Naively, as the deadline for that major assignment drew near, I overheard a classmate discussing a possible extension with the professor. The professor offered some simple extension terms, one-third of a letter grade per class period (one period late, a B+ would drop to a B, two periods late that B+ would drop to a B-, etc.).

I convinced myself that the extension terms were reasonable and would help me. Given I had decent writing skills, I foolishly decided to take one additional week (three class sessions) to turn the paper in.

At the time I assumed my final product would earn an A or A- meaning at worst I would take home a B- or C+ for the paper, a good enough score to maintain the B average I had worked all semester for.

Evidently I wasn’t quite the writer I thought I was – remember the point about increased expectations earlier? The professor scored my original paper a B-, with the docking it became a C-, and because of the grading weight of the paper, my B average for the semester fell to a C+.

I learned the hard way to get my work done when it was due.

Mistake 7. Limit the Social Scene

At college, social events occur virtually every night of the week. From athletic events to open-mic nights to movies there is always something available to do that seems more enticing than your studies.

Add to that the Thursday night party group, the students taking a less demanding academic program (and content with earning Cs in those courses) and you always have someone trying to get you to take a few hours off for some social activity.

Taking time from studies is critical to maintain an emotional balance. But if you are not careful, it is all too easy to get pulled away by your roommate or other dorm-mates at times when you really should be getting some much needed work done.

Remember there is always something social to do and someone you know will be doing it – that simply means you can skip specific social opportunities when work demands prevail as there will always be another fun thing to do tomorrow.

Generally speaking, I love attending college sporting events. The atmosphere can be electric and the games certainly provide an opportunity for students to get a little rowdy with friends.

In sum total they can serve as a much needed-alternative to the stress of papers and tests.

But unfortunately, the college athletic model has succumbed to the same pressure that drives the professional sports world: money. The quest for the almighty dollar can lead to shameful behaviors, greed being what it is, and to situations like the recent one involving the Memphis men’s basketball program.

At the same time, the Memphis situation reveals the perverse world of college athletics, one where the two people most responsible for a problem, the student-athlete and the coach, somehow manage to earn greater sums after the incident, while the people least responsible, the player’s teammates, become victims of the greedy system.

Using an Improper Player

Under the current model, college coaches recruit gifted players, many who would not academically qualify for admission if not for their athletic talents. Even the best schools today adjust their admission standards so as to be able to compete in the financially lucrative world of college athletics.

The recent Memphis situation involved the immensely talented Derek Rose (in what amounts to the biggest sham going, Rose is not actually named as the culprit), a young man who had failed to reach the minimal ACT score for college eligibility during his first three efforts. Given that a college scholarship was on the line and a new professional basketball policy that prevented teams from drafting players directly out of high school, Mr. Rose apparently engaged a surrogate student to take and pass the SAT test.

As but one sign that the coach recruiting Derek Rose might think something was amiss, Rose lived in Chicago. But the passing SAT score was obtained in Detroit, some 283 miles from Rose’s home city.

That did not deter John Calipari from signing the marginal student. Thus, for the second time in Coach John Calipari’s career he took a team to college basketball’s biggest stage, the Final Four, using an ineligible player.

In both cases, the issues were revealed after the fact, and as a result the governing body of college athletics, the NCAA, expunged the team performances from the record books. In the case of Memphis, the team’s 38 wins were forfeited and the Tigers name removed from being a final four participant.

Rich Get Richer

While the school and the other players who were part of the team have seen their performance vacated, Rose and Calipari have simply shrugged their shoulders and moved on to mounds of cash. Rose of course became a first round pick of the NBA after his one tainted season at Memphis. The rookie earned a little more than $5 million in his first season with the Chicago Bulls.

Meanwhile Calipari has managed to secure a brand new position in Lexington where he will coach another legendary basketball program, the Kentucky Wildcats. His salary comes in just under that of Rose, in the four-million dollar a year range.

A few outside Kentucky have asked a rather simple question: was Calipari in a position to know better? One would think the answer was yes, that a prudent person would have had significant doubts about how Rose managed to pass his exam.

But the money involved in high-profile college athletics tends to make some coaches hesitate. In this case, Calipari did more than hesitate, he ignored the obvious.

In essence, it would also seem the NCAA felt likewise. Why else would it eventually rule that Memphis had to vacate its entire season including their Final Four Appearance?

But in yet another head-scratcher, a sign of all that is wrong, the folks who hired Calipari at Kentucky continue to stand by their choice despite the developments at Memphis. They insist that Calipari was not responsible for the issues related to Rose.

Indirectly, they also are conveniently ignoring that Calipari is now the only college coach in history to have two Final Four teams stripped of their accomplishments by the NCAA.

A Model Governed by Money

As with all legal cases that have huge financial ramifications, the ruling is being appealed by Memphis. Pending that appeal, Calipari has indicated he will not discuss the issue.

But he will start coaching at Kentucky irrespective of that appeal. That certainly has the folks at Kentucky hoping that what “happened in Memphis will stay in Memphis.” But as one more sign as to the flaws in the current model, consider the incentives, above and beyond the $4 million base salary, that Kentucky has placed in the Calipari contract:

• Reaching the NCAA Sweet Sixteen ($100,000).
• Reaching the Final Four ($175,000).
• Winning the NCAA title ($375,000).

College sports and money – how the model must change.

Students searching for the right college have a variety of sources available that help provide advice during the selection process. In recent years, a good many individuals have come to rely upon the U.S. News and World Report for its well-known college ratings guide.

However, incidents involving questionable reporting by the University of Southern California and the suggestion by folks at Clemson that the U.S. News data can be manipulated have raised concerns with the accuracy of the information provided by this publication.

So it is not too surprising to see the launch of a new site, WhatWillTheyLearn.com, which seeks to provide some additional information about the college landscape.

Interesting Focus

Touted as a guide to provide insight that other rankings and college guides fail to address, WhatWillTheyLearn attempts to determine the schools that “are making sure their students learn what they need to know.” Suggesting that most colleges and universities are using a do-it-yourself curriculum approach, a process leading to graduates “with a thin and patchy education,” the free website is designed to help parents and students determine which “colleges are preparing their graduates to succeed.”

To determine which universities are making sure their students learn what they need to know, institutions are rated on seven key areas of knowledge.

Former Harvard Dean Harry Lewis represents the public face of the site. He notes that the requirements that colleges impose, though specifically designed to make sure students receive a well-rounded education, are actually very misleading.

Lewis notes: these requirements “often simply call for one course in the humanities, one course in social science, and so on.” Unfortunately, according to Lewis, “On some campuses, it doesn’t matter at all what courses are chosen, as long as they are in the right categories. Other schools limit the courses so that they meet some special criteria, but there is little sense of how each individual course relates to the others.”

Lewis is not pleased with this development and goes on to add, “This is deplorable … at its best, general education is about the unity of knowledge, not about distributed knowledge. Not about spreading courses around, but about making connections between different ideas. Not about the freedom to combine random ingredients, but about joining an ancient lineage of the learned and wise. And it has a goal, too: producing an enlightened, self-reliant citizenry, pluralistic and diverse but united by democratic values.”

As for one very specific example of the hodge podge nature of college curricula on college campuses, Lewis touts the studies that reveal many “college graduates are ignorant of the basic principles on which our government runs.” According to Lewis, it is easy to understand why “most cannot identify the purpose of the First Amendment, what Reconstruction was, or the historical context of the Voting Rights Act.

“The vast majority of our colleges have made a course on the broad themes of U.S. history or government optional. This is especially dangerous in America, where nothing holds us together except our democratic principles.”

Grading System Used

WhatWillTheyLearn focuses on a couple of pieces of information often provided in other catalogs including how much schools will be charging and how many of their students earn a degree. But the site also provides information on what a college will expect graduates to study outside their majors.

Essentially, to determine the state of a respective school’s general education program, WhatWillTheyLearn examines whether or not a school requires seven key subjects: English composition, literature, foreign language, U.S. government or history, economics, mathematics, and science. These are subjects, according to the website, that have become “mere options on far too many campuses.”

To provide a rating for a school, WhatWillTheyLearn looks at very specific course elements. For example, in Composition, the expectation is an introductory college writing class focusing on grammar, style, clarity, and argument. For Literature, the expectation is a course featuring a broad comprehensive literature survey and cannot be simply “narrow, single-author, or esoteric courses.” In the area of Foreign Language, there is a demand for demonstrated “competency at the intermediate level, defined as at least three semesters of college-level study in any foreign language.”

For U.S. Government or History, the expectation is a “survey course in either U.S. government or history, with enough chronological and topical breadth to expose students to the sweep of American history and institutions” while “narrow, niche courses do not count for the requirement, nor do courses that only focus on a narrow chronological period or a specific state or region.” In the field of Economics, the requirement is an introductory course covering basic economic principles in micro- or macroeconomics and to be valid it must be taught by faculty from the economics or business departments.

In Mathematics, the requirement is for a college-level course (advanced algebra, trigonometry, calculus, computer programming, statistics/probability, or mathematical reasoning at or above the intermediate level). And in the Natural or Physical Science field, the expectation is a college-level course in “astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, physics, or environmental science, preferably with a laboratory component” (and must be taught by faculty from within the school’s science department).

Using these criteria, a school is assigned a grade based on how many of these seven subjects students are required to complete while earning their diploma (A: 6-7 core subjects required, B: 4-5 core subjects required, C: 3 core subjects required, D: 2 core subjects required, and F: 0-1 core subjects required).

Liberal Arts Proponent

Some may see the site as having a specific bias as it is sponsored by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA), an independent, non-profit organization that was launched in 1995. According to their website, ACTA is “committed to academic freedom, excellence, and accountability at America’s colleges and universities” and to ensuring “that the next generation receives a philosophically rich, high-quality college education at an affordable price.”

That said, it must be noted that ACTA is a huge supporter of the liberal arts education model. Yet it is interesting to see a proposed model that does not demand a full liberal arts approach, just a more focused curriculum in the general education courses.

Since one can never have too much information, we suggest students check to see how the schools they are considering stack up on this new site. Again, this is not your U.S. News and World Report version (it was astonishing to see Bowdoin College receive an F). Just be forewarned, the site is still in the early stages with only 125 or so schools rated.

It was with a great deal of disappointment that we read the recent Tracy Jan post at the Boston Globe. With colleges cutting services and programs in the midst of an economic meltdown of epic proportions, Jan decided to do a little investigative reporting regarding a rather touchy subject.

In “Strapped Colleges Keep Leaders in Luxury,” Jan examines the current housing arrangements of a number of Boston area college presidents. The descriptors she uses to describe the residences certainly contrasted vividly with the non-stop news of employee layoffs, program cuts and tuition increases.

Opulence Reigns Supreme

Jan refers to MIT president Susan Hockfield’s home as a “stone mansion,” a luxurious beauty with wonderful views of the Charles River and its nonstop parade of sailboats moving up and down the waterway.

In the case of Northeastern president Joseph Aoun, it was a mammoth “five-story brick town house” featuring 9,000-square-feet and 7.5 bathrooms. It too had a location to die for, sitting just across the street from Boston Common.

Jan notes that these two leaders are not alone in their good fortune, that their “counterparts at other private colleges reside in luxury as well, many on centuries-old estates surrounded by well-tended gardens and lawns cared for by loyal staffs.”

But it was interesting to note the response of the schools when Jan sought to visit some of these residences. Only Wellesley president Kim Bottomly was willing to allow a Globe reporter and photographer to get an inside glimpse of one of these palatial homes (Jan notes Bottomly’s bedroom overlooking Lake Waban and speaks of at least two servants at the president’s disposal).

Jan is nothing short of realistic when she speaks of an opulence that stands in stark contrast to the current mood on campuses.

The “homes, many provided by universities as part of their presidents’ compensation, are the ultimate perk in this college-rich region, but one that increasingly appears to represent a bygone era.

“While the houses often serve an important ceremonial role and it is questionable how much money could be saved by their elimination, the very mention of them has elicited low-level grumbling on campuses and anxiety among university officials over the Globe’s request to tour them.”

Not a Simple Issue

Jan is right. It is truly debatable as to what savings might be available but the contrast with the current situation of others who work on campus is reminiscent of the blindness of those firms on Wall Street, especially those awarding bonuses just after being given a government bailout.

And the fact that most declined to allow the homes to be viewed added to the feelings that college leaders were out of touch regarding this issue. In fact, the answers used reeked of amazing ambivalence. According to Jan, school spokespeople indicated the presidents at MIT and Harvard simply were “not around” while their counterparts at Tufts and Boston University “should be afforded a measure of privacy.”

Those same spokespeople also attempted to put a positive spin on what others would categorize as a tad excessive, insisting that the homes served as a space for entertaining luminaries, hosting visiting dignitaries and wealthy donors, and even welcome students and neighbors.

Given this amazing perk, it is easy to see why so many have suggested that “presidents could take a pay cut to reflect the free housing they’re receiving.” Certainly, given the current college fiscal environment, one might expect schools to take a look at the cost basis for these buildings and the salaries of college presidents.

As tuition soars, in many cases beyond the means of the average student, more and more reporters will be placing pressure on schools to examine what might be deemed excesses. If schools are to handle that pressure, they will need to think twice about limiting access.

It sends the wrong message and only reinforces a view that colleges remain ambivalent to the cost concerns of the average student.

It seems that nary a day goes by without yet another study supporting alcohol consumption as long as it is done in moderation. This time the study is by the Spanish, involves beer and the study group is women.

Some will say, forget those calcium supplements and head on down to the pub. But as with all those studies related to wine, it seems the positive elements come from something other than the alcohol.

For the beer study it was deemed that the plant hormones in the beer may well be the critical element.

Somehow we think that aspect may be overlooked by the college party crowd.