While Obama's stimulus plan has failed to reduce the unemployment rate as it promised it would (Link: See Graph), many recent college graduates are struggling to begin their careers. The current unemployment rate has easily exceeded the 8.8% at which the administration said unemployment would peak in 2010 without an economic stimulus. The current unemployment rate stands at 10%.

Employers are looking for those with experience, and because of the high demand for jobs, people with years of experience are taking jobs they are over-qualified for, jobs that would traditionally go to a recent college graduate. Overall, the hiring of college graduates is down 7%.

Unfortunately this leaves a scenario that makes finding employment very difficult for recent grads, many of whom end up taking unpaid internships just to gain experience.

No one wants to sit idle with a fresh college degree. This is why some are willing to volunteer, perform unpaid internships, and even go back to school in these tough times. This is evident with the rise in those seeking admission to graduate and law schools. The number of people taking the LSAT this year jumped 20% to an all time high of 60,746.

However, there is good news, as a recent employer survey showed an increase in the number of employers that expect to increase their college hiring. Over 33% of the employers polled in December said they expect to increase their college hiring, compared to 28% in a November poll.

There are still employers who are currently trying to tap the college market. These employers continue to hire a number of recent college graduates:

Top Entry Level Employers for 2009

See the full list at CollegeGrad.com

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The Credit Card Act of 2009 goes into effect on February 22, 2010. There are a few changes that students should become aware of, as they change the way college student credit cards are regulated.

Many of the new rules in the Act help protect some of the most vulnerable consumers: those under 21. Credit card companies are usually eager to sign up college students despite nonexistent credit histories because it builds brand loyalty, as they will more than likely be a customer for life. Starting February 22, college students will find it much harder to obtain new credit cards.

Essentially the new law requires those under the age of 21 to have a parent or other adult who is at least 21 years old co-sign the credit card, unless the applicant can demonstrate an independent source of funds sufficient to repay any debts incurred with the card.

With the constant increase in the cost of higher education, college students have been using credit cards more than ever, with many using them for school-related purchases like textbooks and tuition. A 2008 survey by Sallie Mae found that 84% of college students had a credit card and of those cardholders 92% used their card for college-related expenses. Upon graduation, the average student graduates with an average credit card debt of more than $4,100.

Over the years, many college students have been "bribed" into signing up for a credit card by receiving free hats, t-shirts, and the like. Universities have also engaged in lucrative contracts with credit card companies by either selling student information, allowing companies to set up credit card kiosks on campus, or directly marketing credit cards to college students and earning a commission for each student signed up. The new law helps curb some of these vulnerabilities.

Highlights of the Credit Card Act of 2009

Title III (Sections 301-305) of the Credit CARD Act covers the protection of young consumers.

1. Cosigner Required
   Consumers who are under age 21 must either have a cosigner who is at least age 21 or have an independent means of repaying the debt. This applies to credit cards and open-ended consumer credit plans, such as department store cards.
2. Can't Increase Credit Line without Approval
   No increase may be made in the amount of credit authorized under a credit card account for which a parent, legal guardian, or spouse of the consumer, or any other individual has assumed joint liability for debts incurred by the consumer in connection with the account before the cardholder turns 21, unless that cosigner approves in writing, and assumes joint liability for such increase.
3. No Unsolicited Credit Card Offers
   The law bans unsolicited prescreened credit card offers to consumers under 21. This prevents credit reporting agencies from selling an underage student's credit report to prospective creditors unless the student chooses to opt-in to such offers.
4. No more Freebies on Campus
   Credit card issuers are no longer allowed to give away tangible items like t-shirts, hats, and iPods on or near college campuses or at events sponsored by or related to a college in order to get students to apply for a credit card. They can still set up tables on campus where permitted by the college, but they won't be able to use giveaways to entice students.
5. Disclosure of Marketing Contracts
   Colleges, universities and alumni associations will have to publicly disclose the existence and details of contracts they sign with credit card marketers allowed access to student and alumni contact information.
6. Educating Young Consumers
   The Act encourages universities to implement credit card and debt education and counseling sessions as part of new student orientation.

The rules apply only to new credit cards. College students who already have an existing credit card will not be affected unless they apply for a new credit card.

The Credit Card Act will also require the credit card company to mail your bill 21 days before it is due, up from the current 14-day requirement. It also limits the ability of the card issuer to raise your interest rate. Your rate on existing balances can not be raised unless you're 60 days late on payment and the credit card company must give a 45-day warning on all future interest rate increases.

While the Credit Card Act of 2009 claims to offer protection for those under 21, it is easy to see why lobbyists from the credit card industry would favor such legislation, as now they can go after the parents/cosigner of students who fail to make their payments. However, we do like the fact that credit card companies are no longer allowed to give away free goods as a way of “bribing” college students to sign up for a credit card on or anywhere near campus.

We also like the fact that credit card companies must warn in advance of future interest rate increases on the account. Therefore, if the cardholder doesn't like the higher rate, they can simply cancel their card and continue to pay off the card at its current interest rate.

If you are under 21, you have until February 22 to apply for a credit card. Those who do so afterwards will need their parents to cosign the application.

Current Credit Card Offers:

Going off to college gives you access to many things: great parties, huge libraries, quality professors, as well as other students just as smart as yourself. With so much in and around a college campus, you can get by without a few things, thus saving you money.

1. Car
   Having a car is a huge expense, and is more of a hassle than what its worth. Think of all the time you have spent trying to find a parking spot close to campus. Then you have the worry of your car being broken into. Car payments, oil and gas, insurance, licensing fees and parking tickets from the parking nazis all add up to a cost that a college student with no income can not afford. Nearly everything you could possibly need is within walking distance of campus. Of course, don't forget to take advantage of cheap bus fares available to students.


2. Cable TV
   You don't need it; it'll be a big distraction. Besides, you can watch many of your favorite shows for free online at sites like hulu.com and justin.tv. Trying to watch the big game? Head down to the local sports bar or watch it in the Student Union building. You could almost throw out the need for a television as well, unless you're really into xBox/PS3/Wii.


3. Textbooks
   OK, you need these...you just don't need to own them. Some will argue that you should hold on to them for reference later on down the road, but with new versions of the book coming out every few years, wouldn't that make them outdated? You don't need to be lugging those textbooks around for years. Instead, rent your textbooks and save a ton of money.


4. An Abundance of Stuff
   You don't need any extra clutter in your tiny dorm room. Keep it simple and only bring the few essentials you need. This way you won't have to worry about moving out multiple carloads of stuff at the end of the year. Start with the basics and if the need arises that you need something more, grab it on the next trip back home.


5. Huge Sound Systems
   Large speakers can take up a lot of valuable space. Besides, the technology nowadays packs some pretty decent sound quality into compact speakers. On another note, large sound systems tend to get their owners in trouble with noise complaints. The solution? Pick up a pair of high-quality wireless headphones and/or find yourself a decent set of computer speakers.

Not every spring break has to end with a sunburn and a hangover. Believe it or not, there is much more to do on spring break than just party it up at the beach. So if you don't want to end up looking like a lobster, as well as getting sand in everything, consider some of these alternative spring break ideas.

Washington, D.C.

Visiting Washington, D.C. gives you a chance to explore America's history in its finest. It is probably the most educational of all trips on this list. Not only will you get to vacation and travel, but you'll find yourself experiencing things you have never seen in person before. A trip to D.C. also means exercise, as you will be doing plenty of walking as you explore all of the museums and monuments in the area (as if you didn't get enough walking in between classes). If you haven't paid a visit to Washington yet, you should do so soon.

Canada

While many spring break partiers head south for the week, heading north across the border may be another option. Although you won't get the warm weather, it gives those aged 19 and over a legal way to party and consume alcohol if they choose to do so. While the exchange rate isn't what it used to be, a good time and nice hotels can be found for a good price.

Festivals

Festivals usually involve many individuals just like yourself who are looking to have a good time. Perhaps the biggest festival that goes on around spring break is South by Southwest down in Austin, Texas. South by Southwest (or SXSW) is the largest music festival in the United States, with over 1500 bands and artists performing. This year the festival runs March 12-21 and also includes an interactive and film festival. One could almost kill two birds with one stone by also going to check out various jobs and internships available in the city of Austin. If you weren't aware, Austin is one of the best places for starting a career after college.

Travel by Amtrak

The big advantage of traveling by train is getting to see the countryside; something you don't get to see up close when traveling at 30,000 feet. When riding Amtrak, it doesn't matter where you are going; getting there is half the journey. Unlike a road trip, you leave the driving up to someone else, giving you freedom to do whatever you like while traveling. Sure travel by train will (almost always) be slower than by airline, but it is a very relaxing way to travel. You can get up and walk around rather than being confined to a compact airline seat, and you don't have to deal with all the security hassles at the airport. Spring break only lasts a week, so if your destination is far away you should probably fly, but consider Amtrak for anything relatively close.

Spring Training

Sure, some people think baseball is bloody boring, but here you combine a sporting event and warm weather that every sports nut enjoys. Here you can see your favorite baseball stars on the cheap as tickets to spring training games are typically cheaper than the regular season. Going to spring training down in Arizona would be ideal for those living up in the Pacific Northwest who don't always get the nicest of weather during the month of March. This is good, clean fun with warm weather that is away from the gambling of Vegas and the debauchery on the beaches.

Get your 2010 NCAA Basketball Tournament Bracket here!

Download and Print the Men's NCAA Tournament Bracket.

Download the PDF version:
2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket

Download the Excel version:
2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket

As renting textbooks continues to grow in popularity among students, websites like Chegg are helping students save hundreds of dollars up front on their textbook costs. We are a big fan of Chegg, and they continue to be our #1 recommended website for textbooks. If you are new to Chegg, you may want to read our review of their textbook rental service.

Because of our high support for Chegg, and the amount of business we send them, we were able to work a deal to score our readers even bigger savings on renting textbooks. Use the Chegg Coupon Code below to save an additional 10% on your purchases.

Update: This coupon code may no longer work. You can get other textbook coupon codes here.

The Rise

It all started back in 1935, when a swim team traveled down to Fort Lauderdale to make use of their Olympic-size pool in an effort to stay in shape over winter break. When the swimmers from Colgate University returned tanned and in shape, word spread of the Florida hotspot. The city, seeing a marketing opportunity, created a College Coaches' Swim Forum attracting college coaches and their swim teams from all across the county.

The thought of spring break in Fort Lauderdale received further attention with the 1960 film Where the Boys Are. The film was aimed at the teen market, featuring sun, sand and sex.

The debauchery of spring break was further publicized with the airing of MTV's first spring break special in 1986 (at Daytona Beach). The broadcast reinforced spring break's reputation for beaches, beer and bikinis.

The Peak

Spring break in Fort Lauderdale peaked in 1985 when over 350,000 students traveled to the area over the span of a few weeks. Things got pretty wild as students packed themselves into hotel rooms and coeds participated in bikini and banana eating contests.

At that point the city had seen enough. Streets were reconfigured to discourage cruising, strict laws against public drinking were enacted, and the mayor went on ABC's Good Morning America to declare that students were no longer welcome to Fort Lauderdale.

The banning of alcohol on the beach meant more people did a lot of their drinking in hotel rooms, which led to drunken antics such as jumping from hotel balcony to balcony, as well as diving into the pool below. Spring breakers who once got drunk and passed out in the sand were now getting drunk and falling off balconies, sometimes even leading to deaths.

The Fall

After the anti-spring break laws were passed, the number of arrests doubled the following year. As the number of college visitors dwindled, bar owners and retailers, who loved the additional business that spring break provided, complained of business being down. The raising of the drinking age to 21 also had an impact, as younger party-goers took the party down to Mexico with its lower drinking age.

Back in the day, the majority of hotels in Fort Lauderdale were independently and locally owned. Now hotel brands such as the Ritz-Carlton, Westin, Hyatt, Marriott, and Hilton can be seen across the skyline. The city gave way to big corporations with their "chic" 4 and 5 star resorts, paying no mind to the little guy: the small business owner. Some hotels now won't even rent out rooms to those under 25.

As a result, spring breakers traveled elsewhere to the more welcoming destinations of Panama City Beach and across international borders to Mexico. Cities in Mexico became inviting to college students with the fact that the legal drinking age is 18.

The Aftermath

A city that was once visited by some 350,000 college students, saw only 10,000 spring breakers in 2006, all as a result of the city's effort to shed its image as a spring break destination. Considering the average student spends $1100 on spring break, one can see the huge loss in revenue that is generated during those few weeks. Now much of this revenue is going to other places like Cancun and Acapulco that embrace the spring break culture.

Fort Lauderdale Today

Broward County, with its largest city being Fort Lauderdale, led the nation with a 73.7% increase in vacant retail space in 2008. This is on top of an already troubled housing market. This reduction in revenue from retail is taking its toll on city and state budgets. Now, as Florida faces its highest unemployment rate on record, Southwest is cutting flights from Fort Lauderdale, and even the new Trump International condo faces foreclosure. The city is now resorting to red-light cameras in an effort to increase revenue.

Here is a tame look at a Fort Lauderdale Spring Break in 1985:

Playboy's ranking of the Top 10 party schools was released today, making it the 5th time the publication has published the list in its 57-year history. In 2009, Playboy announced it would make the list an annual feature in the magazine. The magazine’s first list, Top 40 Party Colleges, appeared in the January 1987 issue with Chico State taking the #1 spot.

This year's #1 goes to the University of Texas at Austin (who was also ranked 7th in the Princeton Review ranking). Arizona State is the only school to appear in all five of Playboy's rankings.

What's New
Also included in this year’s ranking is a “Best in Class” list which gives honorable mention to 23 additional schools in certain categories. These categories range from “Hottest Cheerleaders” (USC) to “Best Halloween Party” (Ohio University).

Methodology
The ranking is determined by Playboy’s editors, with input from the magazine’s campus representatives, models, photographers, online voters, and student readers.

Playboy's Top 10 Party Schools 2010

1. University of Texas at Austin
2. West Virginia University
3. University of Wisconsin-Madison
4. University of Miami
5. East Carolina University
6. Arizona State University
7. Rollins College
8. University of California-Santa Barbara
9. Plymouth State University
10. University of Iowa

"Best in Class"

Hottest Girls: Arizona State University
Best Halloween Party: Ohio University
Best Living Mascot: Uga, the University of Georgia bulldog
Best Unofficial Mascot: Scrotie, of the RISD hockey team the Nads
Best Fish-In-A-Barrel College: Sarah Lawrence, where 73 percent of the student body is female
Best Harmless Prank: Antiquing—dusting your friend's face with flour
Best College Sports Bar: The Houndstooth in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Hottest Cheerleaders: The USC Song Girls
Best Student Section, Basketball: MSU's Izzone, named after Coach Izzo
Best College Radio Station: WSOU, Seton Hall
Best College Drinking Innovation: The Flabongo, a beer bong made out of a lawn flamingo
Hottest Major: Nursing [check out UNC-Chapel Hill]
Best Catholic Party School: Marquette
Best College Sandwich: Fat Philly from the Rutgers grease trucks: two chicken fingers, cheesesteak, gyro meat, two mozzarella sticks, white and red sauces, lettuce and tomato
Best Ivy League Party School: N/A
Best Course: Honors College 299: Far Side Entomology, at Oregon State University
Worst Course: Tree Climbing, Cornell
Hottest New College Sport: Sand volleyball (begins next academic year)
College That Sounds Fun But Isn’t: UNLV
Best Surf School: University of Hawaii
Best Name For Beer Pong: Beer Pong
Best College-Supported Art Project: Brandeis's Liquid Latex Body Art Show.
Hottest College Girlfriend: Baylor's Rachel Glandorf, who dated [and is now engaged to] Texas QB Colt McCoy
Worst Party School: Tie between BYU and Oral Roberts

Previous Rankings

2009

1. University of Miami
2. University of Texas - Austin
3. San Diego State University
4. University of Florida
5. University of Arizona
6. University of Wisconsin - Madison
7. University of Georgia
8. Louisiana State University
9. University of Iowa
10. West Virginia University

2006

1. University of Wisconsin - Madison
2. UC Santa Barbara
3. Arizona State
4. Indiana
5. San Diego State
6. Florida State
7. Ohio University
8. University of Georgia
9. University of Tennessee
10. McGill University

2002

1987

Things are looking better for this year's graduating class than last year's. Employers expect to hire 5.3% more college graduates in 2010 than they did in 2009, giving the job market for college grads the best hiring outlook it has seen in nearly two years.

Preliminary reports show that the strongest areas of employment will be in Accounting, Engineering, and Retail/Wholesale as the top employers extending offers to 2010 college grads. The technical fields of Accounting and Engineering, which have traditionally been the most active in hiring recent college grads over the years, continue to see high demand.

After analyzing preliminary hiring reports, recruiting trends, and multiple employer rankings, we have ranked this year's best bets for employment.

Accounting

1. Deloitte
2. Ernst & Young
3. Pricewaterhouse Coopers
4. KPMG
5. Grant Thorton
6. RSM McGladrey
7. Moss Adams
8. Plante & Moran
9. BDO Seidman
10. Eisner

Engineering

1. GE
2. Intel
3. Raytheon
4. Nestle USA
5. Boeing
6. Entergy
7. Northrop Grumman
8. Lockheed Martin
9. Siemens
10. BAE Systems

Retail/Wholesale

1. Target
2. Macy's
3. Kohl's
4. Walgreens
5. Amazon.com
6. Sears
7. Abercrombie & Fitch
8. Whole Foods Market
9. Wegmans Food Markets
10. Nordstrom

Data and Reports analyzed for this ranking:

BusinessWeek's Best Places to Launch a Career
CERI Recruiting Trends 2009-2010 [PDF]
Fortune's 100 Best Companies To Work For
Top Cities for Finding a Job After College
Vault's Top Accounting Employers
Internships: The Best Places to Start

With Spring comes nice weather...and announcements of tuition increases.

Many colleges have announced their tuition charges for next year and it has some students seeing a near 10% increase in costs.

As more schools cross the $50,000/year mark, it's easy to see how the cost of higher education is getting out of hand. With tuition increases that continue to outpace inflation, it's only going to get worse. (It will be interesting to see next year's ranking of most expensive colleges. See 2009-2010)

Stories of college tuition increases can be found in newspapers and local news broadcasts all across the country. Perhaps the most noticeable being the University of California System, who raised tuition 32% and experienced student outrage at many of its campuses.

Many schools are raising tuition because of lost funding from the state and to give faculty long overdue raises. Governors, College Presidents, Regents, and other University Officials have given multiple reasons as to why costs are going up. Here is a roundup of what officials had to say when questioned about tuition increases.

50 Reasons for Increasing Tuition

1. "Students need to pay their fair share."
   -Quebec Universities


2. "I'm asking our families and our students to sacrifice a little bit."
   -Washington State Universities


3. "If they can afford it why not have them pay a larger fare?"
   -Colorado Universities


4. "I don't think it's the right thing to do necessarily but it what's going on in our market right now."
   -Midland College


5. "If tuition has to raise by 77 percent, so be it. If we have to break the promise of locking in tuition, we have to break the promise."
   -Georgia Universities


6. “The economy is the driving factor in this. The cuts in this budget reflect that."
   -Boise State University


7. "We live in a world with a weird and unfortunate state funding formula and that forces universities to raise tuition."
   -New Mexico State University


8. “Even though tuition has increased rapidly over the last decade it’s not filling the gap of lost state support."
   -University of Illinois


9. "The West is moving more toward the national averages."
   -Colorado Universities


10. "I don't feel comfortable going to the Legislature and saying, 'We're counting on you to solve our problem. I think we need to step up, and we have the opportunity to do so, and that's why I am proposing this increase."
    -Nevada Universities


11. "Even a 15 percent increase is still a bargain."
    -University of South Florida


12. "I hope this will serve as a wake-up call to people in this state."
    -University of Colorado


13. "When you have no choice, you have no choice. We do not have the money to continue to run the University of California."
    -University of California


14. "We are at a loss to make this a win for everybody because of Colorado's complete lack of commitment to higher education."
    -University of Colorado


15. "It's not all that much money. When you look at the dollars, it's $956."
    -University of Virginia


16. "They came here with an expectation for what they would pay."
    -University of Houston


17. "In the 1980s higher education made up 17 percent of the state budget, and prisons accounted for 3 percent. Today those figures are 9 percent and 10 percent, respectively."
    -University of California


18. "We are not asking for your approval, we are asking for your support."
    -OCCC


19. "The worst is not over."
    -University of California


20. "Cornell University hemorrhaged more than a quarter of its endowment in the past six months - roughly $1.45 billion - and will slash budgets and hike tuition to shore up".
    -Cornell University


21. "Our percentage increase appears it’s going to be the highest, but our dollar amount is going to be the third lowest."
    -Eastern New Mexico University


22. “We’re becoming a socialist society when we say that you shouldn’t raise tuition at all.”
    -Georgia Universities


23. "The increase is absolutely necessary to balance our budget. Without it, we’d have to lay 110 people off.”
    -Idaho State University


24. "I absolutely had to vote for this, it would have been hypocritical of me not to."
    -University of California


25. "The prison system used to get about one-third as much money as the university system. Now [they] are pretty close to being the same because we incarcerate too many people."
    -Wisconsin Universities


26. “This is just the beginning. These tuition increases are nowhere near what they may be next year.”
    -University of Virginia


27. "This is our one best shot at preventing this recession from pulling down a great system toward mediocrity."
    -University of California


28. "We're not going to slow down on planning. We're going to keep going and pay ourselves back."
    -James Madison University


29. "85 percent of the revenues generated by the tuition-fee increase would be allocated to the faculty."
    -University of Manitoba


30. "We hope to increase salary for our faculty and staff next year."
    -Stanford University


31. "The college hopes to set aside money now to cushion the school in the future."
    -Oklahoma City Community College


32. "It's the system that is broken."
    -University of California


33. "To begin to rebuild the university, we will have to raise tuition in two phases by a total of 32 percent over the next two years—from $7,788 to $10,302. Students are angry about that, and they have every right to be."
    -University of California


34. "The state is no longer a reliable partner."
    -University of California


35. "The availability of courses is rapidly diminishing. If you can't get into the classes you need, it will take you much longer to get your degrees—which means it will be more expensive to graduate. So raising tuition may, in fact, ultimately save students money."
    -University of California


36. "Tuition is being adjusted for inflation."
    -Southwestern Oregon Community College


37. "Virginia does not fund higher education as much as other states do. As a result, the undergraduate in-state tuition rates at the University are about $1,200 higher than average."
    -University of Virginia


38. "If we don't implement the increases, we won't get the revenue increases that we really need."
    -University of Windsor


39. "There's no money, so we're trying to ask students to come up to the plate."
    -Montgomery College


40. "The fee increase is intended to help pay for $16 million in deferred maintenance projects."
    -Eastern Illinois University


41. "Tuition hikes at UA still fall short of most increases among universities in the 15-state Western region. In the past five years, UA tuition has climbed 29.8%, compared to a regional increase of 48.2%"
    -University of Alaska


42. "Some of UAFS' proposed increase is driven by student requests for greater health coverage."
    -University of Arkansas at Fort Smith


43. "Santa Clara does not have the luxury of having a multibillion dollar endowment. Unless someone came along and made a mega gift to the institution, we are tuition dependent."
    Santa Clara University


44. "We continue to face external economic pressures that affect sources of income such as the endowment payout and philanthropic giving."
    -University of Chicago


45. "We don't feel that we're through this yet, but we feel that maybe we're past the absolute worst. But it's still a very dangerous time that we're in."
    -NYU


46. “The trustees are focused on modest tuition growth for years to come."
    -Franklin & Marshall College


47. "We are now where the state of Georgia does not have enough money to complete this fiscal year."
    -Georgia Universities


48. "The Athens campus will sustain a $10.4 million reduction in state funding in 2011 and must reallocate an additional $3.25 million to fund increasing health-care and utilities costs"
    -Ohio University


49. "My goal is to make sure that those doors remain open and we don't sacrifice the quality of education. We cannot make cuts that will damage educational opportunity."
    -Washington State Universities


50. "This increase is necessary to move forward with investments and continue with academic enterprise."
    -Ohio University

No major introduction needed here, as a picture is worth a thousand words. Here we take a look at some of the most magnificent university libraries across the country.

Comfort and atmosphere play a huge role in getting in a quality study session. The problem is that some of these libraries are so beautiful that they almost become too distracting to study in.

Quick List

1. Bapst Library, Boston College
2. William W. Cook Legal Research Library, University of Michigan
3. Suzzallo Library, University of Washington
4. Butler Library, Columbia University
5. Fisher Fine Arts Library, Penn
6. Chancellor Green Library, Princeton
7. Doe Library, UC Berkeley
8. Harper Library, University of Chicago
9. Frederick Ferris Thompson Memorial Library, Vassar
10. Sterling Memorial Library, Yale
11. Firestone Library, Princeton
12. Powell Library, UCLA
13. George Peabody Library, Johns Hopkins University
14. Widener Library, Harvard
15. Special Collections Library, University of Virginia
16. Perkins/Bostock Library, Duke University
17. Riggs Library, Georgetown University
18. Bizzell Memorial Library, University of Oklahoma
19. Rush Rhees Library, University of Rochester
20. Baker Hall, Harvard
21. Williston Library, Mount Holyoke College
22. Uris Library, Cornell
23. Monroe Library, Loyola University New Orleans
24. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale
25. Baker Memorial Library, Dartmouth

Many first-year college students are having concerns about being able to afford college. Students surveyed in 2009 showed that financial concern has reached a 40-year high when it comes to paying for college.

This financial pressure is forcing more students into debt as 53.3% turned to student loans in 2009, up nearly 4 percentage points from 2008 and the highest level reported in nine years.

Financial concerns have also affected college choice as 41.6% of students reported that cost was a "very important" factor in choosing which college to attend, the highest level since the question was added to the survey five years ago.

Because money plays such a huge part in college selection, more students are looking into colleges that provide top-notch career services and are choosing colleges where graduates get good jobs. The percentage of students reporting employment and financial success after college as "very important" increased to 56.5 percent in 2009, the highest level since the question was introduced in 1983. Perhaps this is why schools like Dartmouth are seeing an all-time high number of applicants; the school was ranked #1 in a recent salary survey.

The number of college graduates moving back home has continuously increased over the past few years. In 2009, 80% of college grads moved back home after graduation. How many 2010 grads will do the same?

With the current economic condition and a tight job market, many recent grads return home to save money and stay there until they land a job, or become financially stable.

Things are looking slightly better for this year’s class. About 25% of the Class of 2010 who applied for a job actually have one lined up.

Graduating also means payments for student loans will soon be due. This financial pressure adds fuel to the fire in an already stressful situation of finding a job after college.

Because of the tight job market, college graduates seem to be more willing to accept entry-level jobs. This year, 39 percent of seniors reported they had received job offers, with 59 percent of those students taking the job. Last year, 40 percent of seniors were offered jobs, but only 45 percent accepted them.

Students are realizing they can’t be picky in their job selection, as they grasp the fact that the market is already flooded with many others with bachelor’s degrees looking for work.

Percent of college grads moving back home:
2006 - 67%
2007 - 73%
2008 - 77%
2009 - 80%
Source: CollegeGrad.com

UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute recently conducted a survey of students in their first year of college. The survey was taken in spring of 2009 by over 25,000 first year college students. Questions were designed to analyze the academic and personal development progress of students through their first year in college.

Obviously there is a big change going from high school to college. This survey takes a look at the multiple aspects students face when going through this adjustment phase. Among them is time management.

In the transition from high school to college, first year students have found themselves spending much more time studying and doing homework. However, these students are still able to find a balance between academics and extracurricular activities, as nearly 80% of those surveyed agreed so.

Students were asked how much time they spent per week on various activities. Here is what the majority of those surveyed reported:

How College Students Spend their Time

Other related surveys

The Bureau of Labor Statistics conducted a Time Use Survey to look at how the average college student spends their weekday. They found the typical college student spends 3.3 hours engaged in educational activities, 3.1 hours working, 8.3 hours sleeping, and 3.7 hours doing leisure and sports activities.

Unless your dorm is like a palace, the thought of cramming two beds, two desks, and two people with all of their stuff into one small room is mind-boggling. It makes one wonder how those with three people to a room survive (and you wondered why so many go home for the weekend). Outside of being a minimalist, your best solution is having a loft bed in your dorm room.

Sure, you can go out and by an expensive loft bed set-up, or pick up a cheap metal frame from IKEA, but since it's summertime… how about a summer project?

Building your own loft bed is a project that pays off twofold: it will save you money and will allow you to maximize the space of your dorm room. Elevating your bed allows you to place your desk under the loft, giving you more space to arrange your room.

Cost

The wood and supplies needed to build the loft will cost about $100-$150, unless you can get your wood for free. Any time and expense you put into building this project can easily be recovered by selling the loft frame to another student when you no longer need it.

Building Tips

• By constructing the loft bed frame with nuts and bolts instead of screws, you can easily disassemble the loft at the end of the school year and reuse it again in the fall.


• Before building, you may want to check with your dorm regarding any regulations they may have. Sometimes you have to leave a certain amount of clearance between the bed and the ceiling, and the dorm may have other rules like not allowing loft beds to be placed in front of windows.


• It is a good idea to know your room’s dimensions so you know what you’re working with.


• What size mattress will you be using? The majority of dorms use a twin XL mattress. Check with your dorm to make sure.

Building Plans for a Loft

To begin your construction of a loft bed you will need a plan to follow. Free plans can be found on the Internet at DIY websites. The plan we are looking at today comes from Knock-Off Wood.

The plan from Knock-Off Wood is a loft for a twin bed. If you will be using a twin XL mattress you will need to make minor adjustments as a twin XL is 5” longer than a twin. The plan was designed as a “teen” loft bed, so some larger students may want to add cross bracing for additional stability.

Tools required for this job include:

• Tape Measure
• Square
• Level
• Saw
• Drill
• Sander
• Finishing Tools (Paint Brushes, etc)

After following the 13-step plan for building your loft bed, you should have something that looks very similar to this:

Other Plans

Other loft bed plans can be found at Ask the Builder and on the Instructables website.

Like it or not, eTextbooks will slowly replace traditional textbooks and become the way of the future. While digital textbook sales currently only account for a very small percentage of the textbook market, they are projected to reach 18.8% of the market by 2014.

As newer devices like the iPad are introduced, students are seeing they can read books in digital form all while saving money and reducing the weight of their book bags. But as it stands now, when it comes to studying, e-readers can’t match the functionality of traditional textbooks. E-readers may be fine for reading, but textbooks are seldom read like novels, which is why most students still prefer traditional textbooks.

If you do choose to get your textbooks in digital form, it is highly recommended that you have some type of portable device like a laptop, iPad or Kindle DX so you can easily carry and view your eTextbooks on a readable device. Sometimes you can access textbook material from an iPhone, but this is not the ideal device to use when studying (though it comes in handy when trying to look up something real quick). You could use a desktop computer, but you may not be able to access your textbook (in some cases) when you are in class or in a study group, which could be limiting. To get around this, some students print out copies of certain parts of their textbook when needed in paper form.

The biggest complaint about eTextbooks seems to be that you can’t take notes as easily as in a traditional textbook. However, there are a few e-readers available that will allow you to do highlighting and jot down notes next to a paragraph and you can easily search for a specific word, phrase or topic within the textbook. Of course, as mentioned before, with eTextbooks you always have the option of printing out your required reading and making notes next to passages as you normally would.

While more college bookstores are beginning to offer eTextbooks as a purchase option, you can still find these books for much cheaper online, as college bookstores are known to have quite the markup on prices.

Along with buying and renting, downloading textbooks is a third option for getting the textbooks you need, and clearly the fastest way to get your books as they can be downloaded instantly upon purchase online. Consider the following companies when looking to get your textbooks in digital form.

CourseSmart

CourseSmart has really benefited from the growing popularity of eTextbooks. They reported a 400 percent increase in sales in 2009 from the year before.

CourseSmart bills itself as the number one place for eTextbooks as it carries one of the largest collections of eTextbooks. They also have a mobile app that lets you browse your material from your iPhone or iPad. CourseSmart claims you can save up to 60% off the price of printed textbooks when you purchase textbooks in digital form.

When purchasing eTextbooks at CourseSmart, simply find your book and select between the "online" or "downloadable" format and complete your purchase. Purchased online eTextbooks can be accessed instantly and read right away. If you purchase downloadable textbooks, you will be required to install a software application on your computer to allow viewing. You must choose if you'd like to download the book and view it on one computer, or access it online from any computer, you can't choose both. Purchasers of the eTextbook don't get to keep the book permanently because the downloaded files have digital expiration codes and expire after about 180 days.

CengageBrain

At CengageBrain you can buy, rent or download your textbooks. Whether you need the whole book or just a few chapters, you can get your textbooks in any form you want. With 15,000 new print textbooks, textbook rentals, eBooks, single eChapters, and print, digital, and audio study tools, you should be able to pick and choose just what you need. The eChapters option would be a good choice for saving money in those classes that only cover a few chapters of the book. Check your syllabus to see how much of the textbook your teacher plans on covering.

PDF textbooks from CengageBrain are called sPDFs (basically a secure PDF file). An sPDF is the same as a standard PDF file with the addition of DRM (digital rights management) software to protect the copyrighted content. This technology prevents illegal distribution of the textbook over the Web. To view your eTextbooks on your computer, you must download their viewer, which provides the DRM software for eTextbooks purchased at CengageBrain.com. This software is required to access your electronic content. Because of this strict DRM technology, you are granted two licenses to your content, which means you can only view your textbook on two different computers at a time. Thus it may become a problem for those using computers in a computer lab.

CafeScribe

CafeScribe sells eTextbooks on its online store and also at many college bookstores. Students who purchase the PDF version of the book through their bookstore will receive an access code to download the book from the Café Scribe website. Users also have access to MyScribe, a free computer program that allows you to easily search, view, collaborate and take notes on your digital textbook. The MyScribe program has a built-in social networking component that enables students to easily form study groups and share notes.

Amazon

Most of you are already aware of the ability to purchase and read books on the Amazon Kindle. With the creation of the Kindle DX, we have a device that is more suitable for the college student. With eTextbooks at Amazon, it works the same way: you can buy your textbooks right from the Kindle and have immediate access.

While you can’t get the textbooks in PDF format, they do have a free application (Kindle for PC) that allows you to read your Kindle books on your computer/laptop. You don’t even necessarily need to own a Kindle to access eTextbooks from Amazon this way. With Kindle for PC you can purchase, download, and read books available in the Kindle Store and access your library of Kindle books stored on Amazon. The application lets you select the text size, words per line, add and view bookmarks, notes and highlights. Amazon also has a Mac version of the software.

Barnes & Noble

Barnes and Noble offers what is very similar to Amazon, with the exception that you only get access to your purchased eTextbook for 180 days. Their free NookStudy program is a specially designed eTextbook application that looks promising compared to other e-readers designed for eTextbooks.

Of course other questionably legal means of getting textbooks do exist (file sharing sites), but as more publishers look to implement their DRM technology, being able to share your book becomes difficult. As eTextbooks gain in popularity, the number of traditional textbooks in circulation will lower, which will impact the used textbook market…something that has cut into the profits of textbook publishers for years.

Some argue eTextbooks are too expensive for what they are (especially if you only get to access them for 180 days), and students should stick to the traditional way of buying textbooks. Research has shown that getting textbooks in digital form does not yield any significant savings over traditional textbooks.

In an attempt to save money on field maintenance (but probably more of a publicity stunt) Eastern Washington University will be playing all of their home football games on their newly installed red turf.

The publicity stunt seems to have worked as EWU, a small state school, has received much national exposure by getting coverage in the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and ESPN. The attention they have received since announcing their plans for red turf has been phenomenal with an estimated 16 million people hearing about the project. If the turf were green, none of this happens.

The red turf is actually a green idea. Replacing the grass will allow Eastern to save an estimated 300,000 gallons of water per year and $12,000 a year in field maintenance.

Of course, Eastern Washington isn’t the first team playing on colored turf. Boise State and the University of New Haven both play on blue turf. But with red, some have shown concern that the turf will start to fade in a few years, leaving the team with a pink field.

On January 25, 2010 Eastern Washington University originally announced their plans for a Red Turf field with Michael Roos, former EWU football player and current member of the Tennessee Titans, donating $500,000 toward the project. Today that project is complete.

Eastern's original grass football field.

Excavation work begins on June 14, 2010

The Completed Project: Roos Field

During the 2008-2009 school year there were a total of 1,601,367 Bachelor's Degrees handed out, according to a recent report released in August. Of those degrees received, nearly 60% were earned by women.

The federal government (Dept. of Education) requires all postsecondary institutions who receive federal aid (Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, etc.) to complete the survey every year. It is this survey data that the public has access to when researching colleges.

Most Popular Bachelor's Degrees for Men

Total number of Bachelor’s Degrees earned by Men (2008-2009): 685,381

As if getting into college (and paying for it) wasn’t hard enough, the state of Illinois wants citizens to risk their hard earned dollars in a lottery for college tuition. The new "Cash 4 College" game is a $2 scratch-off ticket that offers full college tuition payments for five top winners. Winners will get to choose from a number of colleges nationwide.

This lottery is basically a tax to raise money for education (which is supposedly where most profits from state-run lotteries go). Lotteries are considered a regressive tax, meaning the tax imposes a greater burden on the poor than on the rich. Poor and middle-class families are having a hard enough time as it is paying for college, and this “Cash 4 College” game will more than likely be marketed to them. Unfortunately, less fortunate high school grads may start seeing these scratch tickets in their graduation cards (instead of cash) from relatives as their one big shot to pay for school.

Speaking of college and lotteries…

In 1774, Harvard College, who was running a little short on cash, received special permission to run a lottery to gather funds to erect Stoughton Hall. Harvard reintroduced this lottery again in 1794, prolonging the drawing for 10 years. After 10 years the lottery produced a net of $18,400 (over $250,000 in today’s dollars). For some reason Harvard purchased $2000 in tickets for itself. The winning ticket was announced as ticket No. 18,547, which just so happened to be one of the tickets Harvard had purchased.

Lotteries also helped establish many other prominent colleges, including Yale, Dartmouth, Williams, Princeton, Penn, and Columbia University.

As more and more students are turning to community colleges to fulfill their higher education goals, students are seeing that learning in a smaller campus atmosphere they can get prompt feedback and better access to instructors.

Students are enrolling in community colleges for a number of reasons: the lower cost, the close location to home, and those recently unemployed are looking to gain new skills for the job market.

Nearly half of all American students begin their college careers at two-year institutions. There are about 1,200 community colleges nationwide educating approximately 12 million students.

Affordable Education

Going to a community college is obviously a cheaper option. Average tuition and fees for 2-year schools in 2009-2010 was $2,544, while the average cost at a 4-year public school was $7,020.

Full-time students at public two-year colleges receive an average of $3,000 in grant aid. This aid covers average tuition and fees and provides about $500 toward living expenses. (Source: College Board 2009 Trends in College Pricing)

Top 25 Community Colleges

The ranking (compiled by Washington Monthly) is based on multiple categories, including: learning environment, academic challenge, graduation rate, and student-faculty interaction.

1. Saint Paul College (MN)
2. Hesston College (KS)
3. Carolinas College of Health Sciences (NC)
4. Mayland Community College (NC)
5. Itasca Community College (MN)
6. Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College
7. Leech Lake Tribal College (MN)
8. Alexandria Technical College (MN)
9. Southwestern Community College (NC)
10. Chippewa Valley Technical College (WI)
11. Washington County Community College District (ME)
12. Georgia Military College
13. Umpqua Community College (OR)
14. Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College
15. Western Wyoming Community College
16. New Mexico State University - Grants
17. Tacoma Community College (WA)
18. Hazard Community and Technical College (KY)
19. Skagit Valley College (WA)
20. Alabama Southern Community College
21. Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (NC)
22. North Country Community College (NY)
23. North Central Missouri College
24. Hawaii Community College
25. Halifax Community College (NC)

For more see: Washington Monthly