Cappex College Blog

Holidays don’t always mean peaceful time away from the stresses of work and school. In fact, holidays often bring their own stresses to the forefront. If you’re in the middle of your college search right now, this Thanksgiving weekend may be particularly tough.

Thanksgiving can mean lots of time with the family, especially extended family. This can mean lots of questions over turkey and dressing. Family members will want to know which schools you are applying to, and which colleges are your favorite. They may even offer their own unsolicited opinions on college or share tales from their days on campus.

Family pressure will only add to your college search stresses. Try to let it roll off your back, and don’t let it distract you from what should be the focus of your college search: You. It doesn’t matter where Cousin Jenny went to school or which college would make Uncle Frank most proud. You need to find the right college for you. What works best for a family member may be an uncomfortable fit for your needs. If you’re happy, satisfied and engaged with your college list then your family will feel the same way.

If you’ve got any outstanding work to do on your applications, use the days away from school to finish them up. Polish up your essay. Proofread your application. Check the addresses. Just don’t get sidetracked from the main goal at hand: Getting in to the college that is right for you.

If your applications are already out, you can get a jump start on next year’s Thanksgiving dilemma: Going home for the first time. CNN has an interesting look at how schedules can be strained after a few years on your own in college.

If you’re traveling: Be safe. If you’re eating: Enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving.

One of the keys to success in college is student involvement. Students that are engaged, both academically and socially, are less likely to transfer.

Student involvement can be a number of things. It may mean listening to a special speaker, meeting with a professor, being challenged by your classes, volunteering, playing flag football, or participating in student government.

Being an active part of the campus will mean more for your time in college than most other factors. That’s why it’s so important to picture yourself on campus during your college visits. Ask yourself, “Is this a place I can call home?”

USA Today recently looked at different ways colleges are keeping their students engaged and involved. How do you plan to get involved once you’re enrolled? What are some programs you find intriguing at potential colleges?

The Chronicle has video from KWED about the virtual campus created by San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science in Second Life.

In the online world of Second Life, teachers hold office hours and online classes. Would a Second Life class make it easier to attend every class? Does the appeal of an online campus make San Jose State a place that might be the right fit for you? Or, do you prefer to have homework handed out in person?

Study abroad options can be key to students searching for college, but often overlooked in the discussion is the state of colleges abroad.

More people in more country are getting more college degrees than ever before, according to The Economist.

They’ve got a nice graphic that outlines college enrollment and graduation rates around the world.

Who’s on top? Australia. In 2005, 80 percent of young Aussies enrolled in higher education. And, almost 60 percent of those that enroll graduate. The U.S. is in the middle of the top, with more than 60 percent of young people enrolling and just under 40 percent graduating. Other top countries for college enrollment and graduation include: Finland, Poland and Norway.

Do you want to study abroad? Where do you want to go?

You got into college. You got the test scores and the scholarships. But, can you cook?

Do you do much cooking at home? Unless mom is moving into the dorms with you then you will, at some point, cook. No, cereal does not count.

The New Jersey Star-Ledger has a list of some entry level cookbooks aimed at college students. In fact, college students have a long history of creating quick, easy and affordable meals. Who do you think bought all those George Foreman Grills, anyway?

Are you collecting recipes for college? Have any older siblings passed on along any eating tips? What will mom be sending you in the mail? Tell us what’s on your plate.

Now that college students have their classes, many are looking for jobs. The Providence Journal looks at back-to-school job fairs and online job boards at places like the University of Rhode Island and Roger Williams University.

College is where students go to prepare for their future jobs, but 75 percent of undergraduate college students will work at least part time during the school year, according to the department of education. Even with scholarships college can be expensive. Plus, students often find they want to spend money on something besides books. Even with a meal plan one can only eat so many meals in the cafeteria.

Almost half, 41.5 percent, work part time jobs. Many of those are with their university. As one student says in the story: “It’s nice because they let you have flexible hours around your class schedule.”

At URI, they have a cap on how many hours a student can work for the college. Also, many businesses near colleges rely on students for business and staffing and are usually flexible about hours, too.

Are you planning on working during college? Do you already have a job now, during high school? Will you get a job with your college?

Although it’s not a full major, and students will receive no class credit, we feel Eckerd College’s Search and Rescue Team is worth highlighting.

Eckerd’s campus is on 188 acres of waterfront property in St. Petersburg, Fla. The private liberal arts and sciences school has 1750 students, and a fascinating program that really lets students get their feet wet. Eckerd’s search and rescue team was founded in 1971 and now helps more than 300 vessels a year. Students get out on the waters of Tampa Bay to learn and utilize skills like towing, firefighting, ship search and “dewatering sinking vessels.”

A Tampa Bay area news station has some video of EC-SAR in action. The students participating may have an aquatic-related major, like marine biology. Others are studying business. Each student takes part in an “intensive” nine-month training program. Later, students may specialize their training with instruction on emergency medicine, navigation, boat handling, communications or advanced crewing skills.

Many of you deal with school-imposed dress codes on a daily basis at your high school. In college you can pretty much wear what you want to class. Three piece suit? Sure. Pajamas? Why not.

That’s not the case any more for students at Illinois State University’s College of Business. The faculty instituted a “business casual” dress code for all juniors and seniors. Said the department chair, Dr. Tim Longfellow: “We tried to come up with ways to enhance the overall professionalism of our students.”

What do you think about college dress codes? If you’ve got one at your high school are you looking forward to making your own wardrobe choices when you graduate?

Each year since 2002 Beloit College in Wisconsin has offered the College Mindset list for each freshman class. From their site:

“The Mindset List is not a chronological listing of things that happened in the year that the entering first-year students were born. Our effort is to identify a worldview of 18 year-olds in the fall of 2007.”

This year’s list for the class of 2011 is out now. It includes:

• They never “rolled down” a car window.
• They will encounter roughly equal numbers of female and male professors in the classroom.
• MTV has never featured music videos.

So, class of 2011, how do you feel about their assessment? College classes of 2012 and 2013, what’s on your mindset list? What has defined your view of the world thus far?

The Wall Street Journal has an interesting story about Zipcar, Flexcar and college. These companies allow users to rent cars for one day or even a few hours. They’re easy to find in big cities, but now they are partnering with colleges like Michigan and Arizona State. They’ve also lowered the minimum age to rent to 18, so most college students are eligible. Schools are hoping fewer students will feel the need to have cars on campus, alleviating some of the parking space congestion.

Parking on most college campuses is scarce and/or expensive.

So what about you? Will you be taking your car to college? Does the ability to have a car on campus affect how you rank a school? Have you discussed car options on campus visits or with your parents?