If web technology is your thing — and chances are, it’s a huge part of your future, you’ll be happy to know that Google Code University offers courses and lectures on AJAX technology, web security, distributed systems, and languages. Fortunately, if you’re a computer science major, you’ll already have your foundation established to understand the basics, but even if you’re looking to delve into web technologies in the future and have no idea where to begin, this is a good starting point.

Of course, there’s also a search function for computer science courses around the world. Better yet, if you’re in San Francisco on May 28 and 29 of 2008, the Google I/O conference will be held where you can get a close look at all of these technologies and speak with Google engineers about how to build the next groundbreaking application. Student admission is only $50.

When you’re studying for an exam, have you already been presented with the information? Chances are that yes, you’ve covered it during the first time you’ve attended the lecture or over a homework assignment. You can save a tremendous amount of time if you learn the information the first time around and not relearn the material later on.

How do you do this? When you’re first reading book materials, highlight important facts or write the important notes down in your notebook. Pay attention during lectures and take notes — don’t doodle or let your mind wander.

There’s never anything wrong with refreshing your memory, but you should never actually have to relearn it. Use the first time around to grasp a solid foundation of your study so that you don’t have to feel stressed come exam time.

Consider yourself always prepared for a pop quiz — and always ready to ace it. If you’re not at that point, you’re definitely lagging behind and you should consider learning the material a first time so that you’ll never have to learn it again later.

Keep in mind that if you fall behind, it adds to your college stress levels. It also wastes a considerable amount of time since you’ll be reading and rereading material in order to get that stable foundation. If you’re constantly playing catch up, you’ll never quite feel at ease which might explain the earlier study. When you study, remember that you’re taking classes that require other courses as prerequisites, so you won’t have to be learning and learning again in your later years of college. You’re already establishing that foundation during your freshman and sophomore years. Keep at it and you’ll reap the rewards — including giving yourself a lot of leisure time when the rest of your classmates are staying up all night cramming.

We reported yesterday that 1 in 5 undergraduates is constantly stressed out. Additional findings, however, show that you’re likely to be more stressed out if you’re a female. The poll shows that men have an easier time sleeping (69% for men vs. 31% for women).

In the meantime, who do you turn to for help? Most turn to their friends first in hopes that they’ll be understood by their peers rather than family members. Next, they turn to their parents, and finally, to their siblings. Thirty three percent would confide in a significant other, twenty five percent will confide in a religious or spiritual leader, and twenty percent actually confide in their school guidance or mental health counselors.

Do you drink? Some people think that drinking may be contributing to the overall stress. Over 25% of students believe it’s not helping the situation. However, at the same time, about 33% of them want to turn to alcohol and drugs to relax.

Who are you? And how do you deal with stress at school?

According to a recent study, college students are stressed out. Are you one of them?

The data postulates that four out of ten college students are stressed out to some degree, but one in five, or 20%, are stressed out regularly. And even so, they’re able to enjoy college life and their extracurricular activities as well.

But what is the problem at school? Concentration and sleeping troubles are big contributors. Too much work is piled on at once, particularly during exam time. It doesn’t help that the Internet is contributing to a big deal of lifestyle changes in the past few years, but even so, students are feeling anxious, depressed, and lonely — even if they’ve already forged their online lives. A whopping 16% of students have spoken with friends who have considered suicide, 10% have thought of it themselves, and 13% have been diagnosed with depression.

The AP has more data available:

Is college, then, the end all for students? Frankly, a lot of my friends who have graduated and are in the real world wish they were back at school. But not all hope is lost. There are plenty of students who still have a positive outlook on life despite the stress of school.

The best recommendations are to manage your time efficiently and to enjoy the time while it lasts.

A study reported by ComputerWeekly says that 80% of university graduates only use the web to search for jobs. A mere 3% use newspapers.

What other statistics did the report find?

• 57% of students spend less than an hour researching the company before a job interview (who has time for more?)
• 9% of college graduates do not research companies at all before attending a job interview (bad move, grads)
• 18% of students utilize recruiters to find jobs
• 8% of graduates apply to the job in person

This is generation Google, generation Facebook, and others. Eighty percent of these users are also heavy users of Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube.

What does that mean for future employers? It’s time to rethink the strategy when it comes to targeting students, as social networks are where the students flock. As an example, awhile ago, the CIA brought its recruiting to Facebook. While the recruiting group doesn’t exist anymore, it turned out to be a huge success among students.

When you’re at school, you need to carefully consider your degree based on numerous things, including your interest in the subject matter, your career plans, and your lifestyle. These are important considerations to address before and not after you’re well on your path for college study. When you look at your course of study, ask yourself what you want to do in the future. You may not know these answers immediately, but having an idea of what you’re passionate about will help.

What’s the best school to go to?
This is a very open-ended question, and it could rely on several factors: the best programs for your study interests, the best schools that accommodate certain financial situations (or programs, such as full-time or part-time study), the best location to further your academic and career interests, and more.

What’s my intended career path?
Sometimes you know you won’t be the next doctor and you will know that math isn’t your strong suit so accounting is out of the picture. On the other hand, it might be a possibility for you. You may have broader interests, like arts and humanities which really gives you a lot of open reign for choosing your classes. Seek out upperclassmen and get ideas of where their futures are bringing them. Speak with professors and guidance counselors that are available at your school. Your university has these resources, so take advantage of them.

What are the market trends for careers?
While this may not impact you right now, once upon a time circa 2001, there was a dot com crash that affected a lot of computer science people. If you’re looking for job security, make sure that the jobs that exist today will exist tomorrow. Do additional research outside the classroom and seek out professionals who are thriving and doing well. Go to career events and ask people how their businesses are doing. Look at companies that are heavy on the layoffs and try to avoid the industries that are overwhelmed with employees.

How much time are you going to devote to your coursework and related experience?
Depending on your financial situation, this answer may differ for you. If you’re a recent high school grad who has no tremendous financial obligations, you probably have nothing to lose and everything to gain by pursuing a full-time degree with possible related work. If, on the other hand, you need to fulfill a lot of financial obligations, you may not necessarily be able to pursue the related study avenue and will only focus on coursework. If you’re coming back to school with a few college courses and may already have a family, your full-time status as a student may be even further strained, so you need to realize what you’re looking for before you jump into a heavy course load.

What degree do you want?
Most of you will be getting Bachelor’s degrees. Some of you may be getting Associate’s degrees. Others will be going for a Master’s and perhaps beyond in some Ph.D. or graduate study. Check out the courses available to you: some colleges combine Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in a 5-year program. You’ll need to know what you’re doing early to commit to such programs. And if none of these sound ideal, look for certifications in certain subject areas that may further your career.

The important thing is to realize that you’re going to be going through this for years, so don’t be afraid to ask questions and network while you seek out the best schools and careers for your needs.

On Sunday, the 80th annual Oscars will be held. And these folks have some serious talent. Where did their educations begin? Let’s take a look.

Actor in a Leading Role
George Clooney (Michael Clayton): George Clooney attended Northern Kentucky University and the University of Cincinnati but did not graduate from either school. In his early years, Clooney attended the Blessed Sacrament School in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky, St. Michael’s School in Columbus, Ohio, and the Western Row and St. Susanna schools in Mason, Ohio. He then graduated from Augusta High School in Kentucky.
Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood): At a young age, Daniel Day-Lewis was known to be a little wild. His parents sent him to to the Sevenoaks School boarding school in England, which he hated. Afterwards, he transferred to a public school called Bedales. His big break came from his education at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street): Depp is a high school dropout who initially had aspirations to be a rock star. He actually attempted to return to school but his principal told him to follow his musical dream.
Tommy Lee Jones (In the Valley of Elah): Tommy Lee Jones has a presidential-studded education. He attended the same high school (Robert E. Lee in Midland, Texas) as First Lady Laura Bush. He then attended preparatory school St. Mark’s School of Texas and then was accepted to Harvard University on a scholarship. There, he was roommates with (future) Vice President Al Gore. He was also a Harvard football star and graduated cum laude with an English degree in 1969.
Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises): After traveling between Europe and America (New York), Mortensten earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. He claims that he took an easy courseload because he wanted to be in many plays during his college career.

Actor in a Supporting Role
Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford): Pictured on the left, Affleck attended the George Washington University and later transferred to Columbia University where he got degrees in astronomy, physics, and Western philosophy.
Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men): Bardem made his first debut at the age of six. You can imagine that his schooling wasn’t as normal as the rest of ours.
Philip Seymour Hoffman (Charlie Wilson’s War): Hoffman, right, has a bachelor of fine arts degree in drama from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he graduated in 1989.
Hal Holbrook (Into the Wild): Holbrook graduated from the Culver Academies preparatory school in Indiana, followed by Denison University in Ohio.
Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton): An English native, Wilkinson graduated from the University of Kent and attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Actress in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age): Blanchett attended primary school in Melbourne at Ivanhoe East Primary School, followed by a secondary education at Methodist Ladies’ College (also in Melbourne) where she began pursuing her interest in acting. She studied economics and fine art at the University of Melbourne and ultimately finished her studies in 1992 at the National Institute of Dramatic Art.
Julie Christie (Away From Her): Christie studied at a convent school in England and was expelled shortly thereafter. She followed her education at a boarding school for girls called Wycombe Court. Eventually, she studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama which is part of the University of London.
Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose): The French actress doesn’t have any education history, as she’s been acting since she’s a child!
Laura Linney (The Savages): After graduating from Northfield Mount Hermon School (in Massachusetts) in 1982, Linney attended Northwestern University, then transferred to Brown University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1986. She then continued her acting studies at the Juilliard School.
Ellen Page (Juno): Pictured at left, Page attended the Halifax Grammar School until grade 10 and graduated from the Shambhala School (a preschool-highschool program) in 2005.

Actress in a Supporting Role
Cate Blanchett (I’m Not There): Just as stated before, Blanchett attended primary school in Melbourne at Ivanhoe East Primary School, followed by a secondary education at Methodist Ladies’ College where she began pursuing her interest in acting. She studied economics and fine art at the University of Melbourne and ultimately finished her studies in 1992 at the National Institute of Dramatic Art.
Ruby Dee (American Gangster): Pictured at right, Dee is a 1945 graduate of Hunter College and received degrees in French and Spanish. She is also a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
Saoirse Ronan (Atonement): Born in 1994, Ronan is still attending school in Ireland.
Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone): Ryan never went to college. She was hired for a Broadway performance right out of high school.
Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton): Swinton, who is from Great Britain, attended West Heath Girls’ School, and then went to Fettes College, a boarding schoo, until she took a break. She graduated from a women’s college, the New Hall at Cambridge University with a degree in Social and Political Sciences in 1983.

New website JuicyCampus lets you gossip (in a very bad way) about your classmates completely anonymously. The goal, according to their “about” page, is “enabling online anonymous free speech on college campuses.” Some examples of posts include discussions about the sluttiest girls at Cornell University, the hottest people on campus, and the reputations of various fraternities and sororities.

While it’s been a hit and a success for juice on your classmates, it’s got some negative press as well. At Cornell University specifically, there’s a lot of backlash. BusinessWeek explains that a Cornell student saw negative comments about sexual exploits — and is now worried about getting a job.

Interestingly, while college is all about free speech, students don’t want JuicyCampus near their campuses. The article goes on to say:

“In campus debates over Internet freedom, students normally take the side of openness and access. This time, however, student leaders, newspaper editorials and posters on the site are fighting back — with some even asking administrators to ban JuicyCampus. It’s a kind of plea to save the students, or at least their reputations, from themselves.”

Have you used it? What do you think — if you’re next?

University Professor Tara Barbazon says that Google is “the white bread of the mind,” according to The Times Online. Often, when people search, they don’t find the most accurate information. Because people can easily find whatever they feel they need on Google, there are even bigger problems: students aren’t as curious as they once were and are not looking for debate because the answers, they suppose, can be refuted easily by pulling up a search query.

She says, “Google offers easy answers to difficult questions. But students do not know how to tell if they come from serious, refereed work or are merely composed of shallow ideas, superficial surfing and fleeting commitments. Students live in an age of information, but what they lack is correct information. They turn to Wikipedia unquestioningly for information. Why wouldn’t they - it’s there.”

What’s next, then? Using Google and other search resources properly. Her students are banned from using Wikipedia and Google — at least in their first year of study. Instead, she provides each student 200 extracts from peer-reviewed texts. Her goal: “I want students to experience the pages and the print as much as the digitisation and the pixels - both are fine but I want students to have both – not one or the other, not a cheap solution.”

What do you think of her approach? Too traditional, or just right?

Over the past few weeks, we’ve discussed how to choose a graduate school and the financial reasons for choosing a graduate school. Now we’re going to discuss the last and final element to finding a successful graduate school: the culture. This area addresses whether the school is a good fit for you academically and socially.

The first stop is considering your student relationships. If you’re in a graduate study program, you might be working with your classmates not only in the classroom but perhaps in the professional field. Therefore, relationships are crucial to success. Wouldn’t you want to have a great social experience in school, one that makes it more memorable? So consider the following questions:

1. How competitive are the students? Are they working for each other or against each other?
2. How is the social scene in grad school? Do graduate students get together with each other or do they do their own thing after hours? Does social inclusion (or exclusion) bother you?
3. Do students embrace newcomers with open arms?
4. How do research papers get drafted and written? Is it a group project or every person for themselves? Is collaboration encouraged or frowned upon?

The next step in choosing your graduate school has to be the most important: faculty. The goal is to work with your faculty and not without them, so consider the following things that may help make the choice easier.

1. How aligned are your interests with the faculty’s? What are their positions on topics that interest you?
2. Are the faculty members cordial of each other?
3. How often do you have the opportunity to interact with faculty members? Are they too busy for in-person meetings or do they make time for students?
4. Do faculty members allow students to work alongside them on research projects?
5. Have you observed any favoritism? Do faculty prefer any students over the others?
6. Eventually, you’ll be writing a dissertation. Do you know a member of the faculty who you’d like to work closely with as your advisor?
7. Are faculty members well-connected in the professional sphere? Can they help you secure a job after school?

These are the things you need to consider when going to school. Finally, just consider the academic program. Make sure there are enough courses in the program that reflect your interests, that the program has a solid reputation in the area, that the program has a good relationship with the academic higher-ups, and if job searching is easy after graduate study is complete. You may also want to look into the requirements (both coursework and extracurricular) to see if you can meet the demand (or find it too challenging).

Putting all of this together, you’ll know which school is your best bet for graduate study.