Smoking on College Campuses

Cessie Ryder


Smoking is a large problem on college campuses that is widely overlooked because alcohol abuse tends to be dealt with first. The negative effects of smoking have been made very public over the years so why do students continue smoke? Everyone seems to have a different excuse.

College is a very stressful environment due to large amounts of difficult schoolwork and a new setting with all new people. Some students turn to cigarettes to help them de-stress because cigarettes have been known to be a source of relaxation and a quick, short escape from a stressful reality. Other students turn to smoking to create an image for themselves or to fit in to a certain group of people. Some people believe that if they smoke cigarettes it automatically makes them seem more “cool” and sophisticated. Many students also admit to smoking when already under the influence of another substance like alcohol. Drinking is very common in a college setting, therefore the use of cigarettes becomes more common and accepted due to the fact that more people are likely to smoke when under the influence of alcohol.

Even though smoking may provide a quick break from a stressful situation or have an effect on your image, the damaging health effects of cigarettes should be enough to make you think twice. Smoking causes all different types of diseases and health problems from respiratory and cardiovascular disease to lung and oral cavity cancer. Tobacco use is the leading cause of death in American today; therefore the problem of smoking on college campuses should be taken more seriously.

Dropping Retention Rates

Ajit Vakharia

According to data released by the ACT this year, the retention rates for colleges nationwide have dropped to 65.7 percent from 68.7 percent the year before. The ACT though is not able to measure if the other 35.3 percent are just taking time off from college, transferring schools, or if those students have in fact dropped out. Cliff Adelman, a longtime education department researcher, says, “the data is meaningless.” The fact remains that the nationally average retention rate is 65.7 percent which means 35.3 percent of students are not returning back to the same institute where they were the year before. Institutes need to do more to bring back students. According to Doug Lederman of Insider Higher Education, there are three main reasons why students do not return to an institute: the student drops out, the student transfers, or the student is just taking time off from school.

Schools need to start implementing new plans on keeping students in their institutes. More tutoring programs can be started to prevent students from dropping out. A lot of students drop out because they are not adequately prepared for college, so tutoring can help them prepare for school and motivate students to do better. Many students transfer because they do not feel comfortable in the school they are in. If schools start more programs to get students involved and become a part of student culture, students would be less likely to leave and transfer to different schools. A lot of students are forced to take time off from school for a year or two just because they cannot afford tuition and need time to save up money. If institutes put some money aside for students in need of the financial aid, students would not be forced to take time off from school to save the money up. If colleges could implement such programs and opportunities, the retention rates for a lot of universities and institutes would increase because students would have less of a reason to leave.

Learning foreign language at Tech

Subin Lee
Is it really necessary to learn a foreign language? In the Georgia Tech curriculum, it is required for all majors to take two consecutive foreign language courses. But then, how helpful would it be for the students who learned foreign language at Tech. Would they ever use it outside of college, or even outside their class?

The importance of learning various languages does not seem that high. Though it might have some value in learning the basic structure of other languages, the practicality for most students in using it outside their class is very small. However, there might be a small portion of students who enjoy learning other languages and utilize it in the real world. One case for example is the study abroad program. A student might be interested in learning French in order to get some knowledge and basic words to use when going to study in GT-Lorraine. This case can be for any other schools at other countries.

For some majors concerning with communication internationally, the existence of foreign language classes may be a key class. Nevertheless, at Georgia Tech, most students being engineers have minimal use of foreign language. The international language for engineers is numerical numbers. Most students are already busy with their other hardcore classes, such as Mathlab or lab sciences which consume a huge amount of time. Introductory foreign language classes can somewhat take a lot of time as well since one of the best way in learning foreign language is to practice and memorize. Some students however take these foreign language classes as a GPA booster, yet it still consumes a lot of time, which can affect the overall grade for other classes.

Foreign language classes still require a lot of effort and time, yet it might be helpful in later real world jobs in communicating, but it does not seem to be very helpful in college.

American Higher Education in Global World

Jinhyun Kim

According to the article, “New Era in International Higher Education” by Scott Jaschik, many American colleges are reaching further in providing education outside the United States by opening campuses in foreign countries. By this expansion, many students outside the United States get opportunities to earn degrees from American colleges without going through all the big change of moving into the United States which often times involves very complicated and tough process.

Nowadays, American higher education already involves diversity in several ways. Colleges form big communities and play significant role in global world. Also, total enrollment of foreign students in American colleges is large. Colleges consist of students from all over the world and benefit from them in making better communities within their campuses.

Furthermore, American colleges are now opening campuses in foreign countries. I think this step that colleges are taking is very beneficial for both colleges and students who experience this American higher education’s extension. Colleges will have different aspects from students which can help in variety of researches. Students are able to earn degrees from American college which would be really helpful in becoming a global leader or worker, and students do not have to deal with moving to another country and difficult process of obtaining visa or immigration issues. In addition, students in American colleges can experience different culture in those American colleges in foreign country as colleges often encourage students to study abroad.

For example, Georgia Institute of Technology offers a solid program of study abroad. As well as many foreign colleges are having joint program with Georgia Tech, the school has its own campus, Georgia Tech-Lorraine in Metz, France. Students have good opportunities to live in different culture, take classes like the ones in Georgia Tech main campus, and earn degrees from Georgia Tech.

Today’s society is not about concentration on one field. A lot of fields and works prefer people who are well-around and people who will become a global leader. I think both foreign students involvement in American colleges and American colleges’ expansion in foreign countries are great ways for students to become the people who the global world wants.

Lecture Capture and Attendance: Are students really less likely to attend class?

Cherish Weiler

As technology becomes more and more integrated in higher education, a new technology known as ‘lecture capture’ has emerged with its fair share of fans and critics. Lecture capture is a system that allows professors to record their lectures and post them online and has recently been the issue of some controversy as the software becomes more developed and studies analyzing its efficacy become available. While skeptics argue that the use of such technology would lead to decreased attendance in class, panelists at the 2009 Educause Conference cited research suggesting there is no correlation between a professor’s decision to post lectures online and a student’s likelihood to attend class.

According to Jennifer Stinger, director of educational technology at Stanford University School of medicine, students base their decision to attend lectures on the quality of the lecture and the professor’s engagement during lectures. In a study conducted in 2008, 78 percent of undergraduates at the University of Wisconsin at Madison reported that having lectures available online would help them better retain class material and 76 percent believed online lectures would help improve their test scores. While students appear to support lecture capture, professors are less receptive to incorporating such technology in their classrooms. At Purdue University, David Eisert, manager of emerging technologies, reported that faculty members would not be willing to initiate lecture capture at the start of class were it available. Regardless, Purdue University plans on implementing the software in over 280 classrooms and working towards a compromise that would entail minimal cooperation from reluctant professors.

While professors may be wary about incorporating lecture capture in their classroom, it is to the benefit of their students that they do so. With research denying the claim that lecture capture promotes absenteeism, what harm is there in using such technology, especially when student opinion suggest lecture capture has the potential to help many students and their grades? If schools are willing to purchase lecture capture technology, there is no reason why faculty cannot participate. Lecture capture technology is already popular among students and will only increase in popularity as universities begin implementing its use in the classroom.

Cars, Cars, Cars

Cessie Ryder

College is a time where you learn to be independent and accomplish things on your own without the relying on your parents or other comforts and luxuries you were used to at home. One thing I have come to find has been particularly difficult is the absence of a having a car. In high school many people tend to take their car for granted and when they get to college they realize how good they had it when they had a car at their beck and call.

Seemingly small things like going to the grocery store and running to bank are not so easy without a car, especially in a city that is built around the car as the main form of transportation. To run a simple errand you have to choose a day when you can block off a certain amount of time and you have to plan in advance how you are going to get there. Not having a car also restricts college students to staying on or near campus so they cannot go out and experience the city or town where their college is located. Experiencing different things in a new city is important to feel part of the community and to build character.

Even though not having a car may seem like a hassle, it is not all bad. One good thing about using different forms of transportation is the effect on the environment. If less people use cars then there will be less pollution to the environment. Not only does it help the environment but no possessing a car also forces you to be creative and find different ways to get around instead of relying on what you are comfortable and used to.

Does Name Matter?

Ajit Vakharia

Harvard, Yale, and Princeton are some of the nation’s most prestigious universities, but does going to a college such as these give students a better chance at being successful after their collegiate career compared to a student from any other university? According to Marilee Jones an admissions director at MIT, college name does not matter for future endeavors. A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Jones says, “You can succeed by going to any school,” but she fails to show instances where students from non ivy league schools have done better than students from ivy league schools. The average starting salary for a Princeton University graduate is 65,000 dollars while the average starting salary for a Georgia Tech graduate is 58,900 dollars which is a substantial difference. Though many people will deny that going to a better school will give you better success after graduation, the truth is that the better the name, the more money graduates are making out of the school.

Students go to college to get the training they need to become successful members of the working field, and colleges with better names get them better careers. Does this mean all students that do not go to ivy league schools will have bad jobs? No. These are only statistics which can be broken. A graduate from a community college in North Dakota could go on the make millions of dollars a year from their career. As Jones brings up, “College is what a student makes it.” A graduate from Georgia Tech can have a 3.8 GPA with a lot of extracurriculars would more likely than not be picked over a Harvard graduate with 3.2 GPA and no extracurriculars applying for the same job. So name does matter, but does not mean students from not as popular schools cannot go on to be just as successful as a graduate from an ivy league.

Gaming in college

Subin Lee


Gaming in college

College for most students is a place to enhance their education. However, for some, college is a place for sports, partying or recreation. One of the biggest recreations that the majority of the students participate is online games. Colleges are the places where they host LAN parties, which is a gathering of hard core gamers. All sorts of games are played by college students, including first-person-shooting games, role playing games, simulation games, and even gambling. Colleges have one of the fastest internet connections in the nation. This therefore allows players to play in a faster cyber world environment.
The problem with online games is the issue of addiction. Games are just as addicting as cigarettes. Not just in the game play but also meeting people online. For example in RPG games, players meet new people, and make a party in order play through the game together. Sometimes, they even make schedules when to log in and play together. Major game addicts may play up to or even more than 15 hours a day.
Online games consume a significant amount of time. This can affect student’s health, daily life pattern, grades, and social life. Long hours on the computer or video games can kill brain cells, deprive student’s sleep, and mess up eating schedule. Due to laziness, gamers might skip meals just to play more, and sleep at late odd hours.
Game can then lead students to miss classes due to daily improper schedule and increasing addiction. For online gamblers, it can also improve the speed of wasting a lot of money. Counseling services have been added to assist the estimated 11 percent of students who have a problem with these addictions whether it be card games with friends, online gambling or visiting casinos.
The harsh fact is that all college students own a computer, and most own a laptop. Laptop meaning portable, which means students can bring their laptops anywhere including their classes. This means that students can even play games on their laptops anywhere including their classes.

Budget Reduction: Should it Result in Quality Reduction?

Jinhyun Kim

The article “Insult to Injury” describes that “midyear [budget] reductions have been a national phenomenon over the past few months”, among colleges in the United States. This sudden budget reduction affecting a lot of colleges, which were apparently not prepare for this problem, has become a big issue recently to many of people such as college students, teachers, and faculties.

Colleges or universities, bigger or smaller, form own communities within which include various things from academics to profession to recreation. Colleges and people of the community usually greatly benefit from these as well as academics. However, if colleges cannot figure out how to solve this low budget issue, all the exciting things beside academics of colleges will be short of fund, and they will lose a great factor of their community.

Also as showed in the article “Insult to Injury”, school cannot afford all the teachers as full time employees. Some schools had to let go of some teachers or faculties. Some schools had to shift toward employing more part-time teachers. In addition, fewer classes offered and larger class size would likely occur, and people became to worry about the change in quality of education that students are getting in higher education according to the article, “Are State Budget Cuts Affecting the Quality of Public Higher Education?”

I think the ones who will be affected by the budget reductions the most and the longest are the college students as well as prospective students within a few years. There can be an increase in tuition from the school for the new students to enroll in the college. Besides, it will be harder for schools to provide the same financial aid to students. It could be a lot of pressure for some students over the nation to choose or go to school that they want. Students go to a college not only to study their major but also to experience a lot of activities and opportunities that they like other than classes. Students would not be very happy if they cannot continue having some fun in extracurricular activities aside the hard works from classes.

The issue of budget reductions in colleges is giving a big problem not only for school faculties but all the people belong to the community. I hope the college communities, together as one, can discuss and use this chance as a time to invest and find the ways of reducing wasteful cost and saving money for the greater good for everyone.

The Disadvantage of Minimal Foreign Language Requirements

Cherish Weiler

A recent study conducted by the American Council on Education found that fewer than one in five universities in the U.S. require a foreign-language credit from their undergraduates. While the study of languages is a well-known scholastic practice of the past, perhaps even a central component of education at one point in time, critics question the application of such minimal requirements in today’s society.

Dan Edelstein argues that mere tradition is not enough to keep colleges from requiring a foreign language credit or two. He points to evidence showing a decreased enrollment among undergraduates in foreign language courses and to evidence showing universities reducing their availability of language courses due to decreased funding. Edelstein suggests that the future of foreign language requirements depend on the ability of students to advance far in a particular language. He argues that the minimal requirements are hardly beneficial to students; in order to adequately learn a language and become proficient, students need to total immersion, not a year of introductory once-a-week classes. Edelstein recognizes the good intentions of universities that require language courses from their undergraduates but states that these “token requirements” are not enough to satisfy those intentions and goals.

Edelstein makes a bold argument against the need for minimal language requirements for college undergraduates. I agree that the need for cultural enrichment and the importance of multilingual skills are high in modern society and that the universities do have good intentions when requiring such language courses. However, I also agree that the level of requirement is not enough to truly benefit a student. Instead, I support the idea of removing required language courses but offering more beneficial and accessible programs such as a “total immersion” program or more accessible study abroad programs. Students should be able to decide the extent of their foreign language study and not be required to take classes that are of no value or use to them in the long run.

US News Rankings for Colleges Unacceptable

Ajit Vakharia

According to the U.S. News 100 Best Colleges in the Nation, Harvard University is number one and Princeton University is number, but how do these rankings work? What makes a university better than another when the education is essentially all the same? According to Robert J. Morse and Samuel Flanigan the ranking is set by two categories: “quantitative measures that education experts have proposed as reliable indicators of academic quality and a nonpartisan view of what matters in education” by the reviews. US News then compare schools to the amount of majors offered and the amount of graduates per major. Then they send out a survey of fifteen academic indicators to each university. Each factor is then ranked and weighed and compared to all other universities and then rankings are given all the universities. Only the universities and US News know what exactly are asked in the survey, but is this process fair to all universities and is it a reliable process to ranking colleges. College rankings should be based on many factors which include quality of professors, quality of teaching, ratio of students to professors, and amount of students graduating that earn jobs after graduation or go on to reputable schools. Students should also be given surveys to see how they feel about the school at which they go to. A lot more about how good a school can be told from students who would have a more unbiased perspective of the school than administrators or professors that are given the surveys.

Money hurting college students

Subin Lee Money is a big problem in college. The majority of the college students are broke, unless their parents fully financially support them.

There are lots of places which students need to spend their money. First of all college itself is a big money eater. “The cost of college is constantly on the rise.” If the student is not financially supported with scholarship, financial aid, or from their parents, it is very difficult for them to pay for school. Housing is the next biggest issue. Unless students are commuting from their homes, students will need to get a place to stay either in dorms, or in apartments nearby. Then there are textbooks, which are not cheap at all. Most textbooks are priced from 20~200 dollars, especially for major classes with those really thick hardcover textbooks. Not just that, but students also need money for their own expenses, such as shopping, food, and own recreation.

Therefore many students take part time jobs to earn money for themselves. These jobs can be in campus, or off-campus. Either way, it consumes a lot time. Either in the weekday or weekends, most students will probably at least work 10 hours a week. With minimum wage being around 8 dollars, 8 dollars times 10 hours equals 80 dollars, yet that is not a lot of money and less if tax paid. Is 80 dollars worth 10 hours? Students might be able to get better jobs with higher wages, but those jobs would probably require more hours and more skill. And in most cases, the workplace would not be near school, which additionally takes more time as well.

Working conclusively takes away much time, meaning extra study time or rest time or play time is taken away. Though money is an inevitable issue, it is an important issue for college administration to consider for students.

Computer Science in the Middle of Tech

Jinhyun Kim

Have young students lost their interests in computer science in the recent years while Information Technology field is still growing amazingly rapid and broader? Many colleges have been experiencing decreased enrollment of students in computer science major recently. There are people saying that recent job market for computer science, computer engineering, and related majors are tough and terrible. However, among many things have happened already which also have affected IT field and job market more or less, some of the new cool technologies, for example, are very hopeful in bringing computer science back in the game. According to the article "College enrollment in computer science , engineering on the rise", There is a jump in enrollment of undergraduate computer science major for the first time since the 1990s' dot-com boom, and Peter Harsha from Computing Research Association said "[t]he perception that IT jobs are hard to come by is over, and the field is now considered an interesting place to be".

There is a mix of several possible factors that resulted in the reflection of the computer science students' enrollment springing back up. One of them is the newest technology, as it is greatly affecting the trend among younger generation students, and these include facebook, iPhone, and etc. Also, computer science departments of many colleges are trying to do better. One example is shown in the article "'Chic Geek': Computer Science Major Rebounds" as that "[t]he Georgia Institute of Technology has revised its computer science curriculum to move away from a traditional hardware-software approach to much more emphasis on the creative process and the roles computer science majors go on to assume in their careers", as well as advertising the major's benefit of being able to work across the world in different places with the ability of critical thinking.

The major of computer science is very promising in the present and future. The world runs with technology nowadays more or less, and the majority of the study fields also uses technology to improve the efficiency in the study. Computer science in in the middle of all technology to make sure all the users are getting benefit of technology, and increased enrollment in this major in colleges would be very optimistic if colleges try to widen the field or study of computer science.

A Tough Decision: Mixing Classroom and Online Instruction

Cherish Weiler
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recently began conducting their introductory Spanish courses completely online. Over the past couple years, the University had offered a mixture of a classroom-based and online-based Spanish 101 course but made the decision to cut the classroom interaction component out of their course curriculum. While some may criticize the use of a completely Web-based instruction, the benefits of offering online courses to full-time students are numerous. Online courses reduce the need for universities to spend resources for classroom-based instruction and allow students the flexibility of completing a course on their own time.

The decision to switch to an online-based Spanish 101 course revolved around the University’s limited resources. Larry King, chair of the Romance Language and Literature department, states that a combination of having the department budget cut and an increased demand for Spanish instruction led to the decision. The switch saved the department from having to make personal departmental cuts and also freed up room for more students to enroll in the course. However, critics of the online-only instruction argue that using the Web to teach a language course eliminating the most important aspect of the course: face-to-face communication. They also claim that students may be less enticed to study or less inclined to continue their Spanish education. Still, department officials state that data revealed there was no significant difference in learning outcomes between the hybrid course and the traditional, classroom course. Also, students have the ability to meet with their professor at any time and move through the course at their own pace.

Many students learn under different types of instruction and should recognize the benefits and disadvantages of the courses they might consider taking. Additionally, universities should not view the option of offering online courses as a quick way to save money and resources. The tough decision to integrate online-based instruction in a traditional, classroom-based setting should be considered for universities struggling to meet the demands of students.

Laptops in Class

Cessie Ryder

Most colleges require their students to bring a laptop to school instead of a desktop computer. Laptops are portable so students are easily able to carry them and bring them to class. The use of laptops in class can be seen as both a positive and negative supplement to the overall learning environment in classroom.
Laptops can be a big source of distraction for students in class. It is hard for students to stay completely focused the whole entire time in class and laptops can just add fuel to this fire. The temptation to check your email, facebook and chat with friends on skype is extremely large and hard to resist. I know this from experience. Whenever I go to sit at my computer I automatically type in the facebook website by habit, so in class, when I am supposed to be paying attention, it is hard not to always check facebook instead. Laptops can be such a distraction that it takes away from students ability to focus and learn, thus resulting in lower grades.
Not everything about laptops is bad though. Laptops can also serve a good purpose in learning and teaching techniques. Studies have shown that student’s attention in lectures tends to fade as the class goes on. So, some professors are utilizing laptops to promote active learning where students must solve problems, provide feedback and discuss ideas using their laptops. By doing this, students are actively processing information and learning the material in a meaningful way.

Censored Internet on College Campuses

Ajit Vakharia

Today, students have the privilege to go anywhere on the internet they want on college campuses. This includes sites to watch television shows they might have missed, look up instructions to make a cake, find directions to the nearest golf course, and look at adult rated sites, and even download copyrighted material illegally. This brings up the question whether colleges should censor certain sites preventing students from going to them. According to the University of Richmond, thirty-four percent of college students download music illegally with college campuses being the most popular location for downloading illegal material. Colleges need to start monitoring and censoring sites that allow students the privilege to download such material. Copyright material is the property of the artist or whoever made the material. It is not fair for these artists to not get the money they deserve for their work since college students are downloading the material illegally. Many students also do not realize that if they are caught downloading items illegally, they could be put in prison and fined heavily. Earlier this year, a Boston University graduate student was ordered by the court to pay 675 thousand dollars for illegally downloading and sharing 800 songs over an eight year period, 1999 to 2007. Universities could thus protect their students by blocking sites and programs that allow students to download and share music or anything else illegally, so these students cannot get caught on campus downloading and put in prison of fined heavily. If such initiatives were put in place, both students and colleges can work together to make sure everyone benefits and no one party is unhappy. Colleges and universities need to make sure their students realize the danger in downloading such material and by blocking such websites and programs, colleges are only protecting their students.

Time management

Subin Lee

Time management is one of the hardest skills to master when being a student. College is one of the hardest times to develop good time management skills. Time managing itself is a very difficult task, yet having more disturbances around makes it more difficult. One of the major problems that should be considered when talking about time management is procrastination. Procrastination is a huge temptation that heavily draws many college students to wait until the last minute.

There are so many other things in college that students can do other than their homework and studying. The library is a perfect example. Though students do study in the library, for some students, the library is more like a meeting place. Since it is a popular place to go, some students actually just go to the library to hang out. This becomes a major disturbance for students who actually come to study, because sooner or later, the students will be tempted to stop working and hang out with their friends. A popular scenario is: a student goes to the library to study, one of his friends finds him and starts talking, a few more friends crowd in, someone becomes hungry, and they eventually all go out to eat or order food, leading the studying student to spend the whole night studying or not study at all.

It is not that hanging out with friends is a negative thing, but the fact that maintaining decent time management when there are so many other temptations in college that students can be lured into should be considered. Time management is an important skill for students to master in order to succeed. Few students actually might bring out great performance when procrastinating; however, this is not the case for most students. Doing things before hand, step by step, and proofreading usually turns out to have better quality.

Hazard around Campus

Jinhyun Kim

Recently around Georgia Tech campus, a number of robberies happened on tech students and drew concerns on students, family of the students, and faculty members. Since these crimes happened very lately and without much time gap between them, these are more seriously shown by news. According to the article on the Georgia Tech school newspaper Technique, since June of 2009, there were "seven armed robberies have been reported on and off-campus", which was only about five months of time period.

The fact that these crimes are happening right around our Georgia Tech campus is making many people in campus, especially students who live on campus and close to campus very disturbed. As well as, it is greatly affecting students in negative way. Students fear to go out to eat after school dining halls are closed, and they fear to have some physical exercise after long period of studying in the evening. While college students have a lot of things to do in the dorm, out of the dorm, in the school campus, and out of the campus, students’ activities around school at late time became very limited. Parents of students are also very worried about the safety issue in the campus community.

For the assurance of the campus safety for people at Georgia Tech, certain procedures should be taken by authorities. We already heard from Atlanta Police Department that there are more police officers assigned on and around the campus as described in the same article in Technique. School administrators should take a big step, also. They should inform the people about this issue and encourage more crime prevention campaign for students, visitors, and faculties more often and in detail.

I hope, by now, all the people involved in Georgia Tech campus realize and take it serious about this issue. Although the people with authorities in Georgia Tech will need to play significant role to prevent further crimes happening around the campus, every individual has responsibility to help not let that happen. Also, I hope that from next year on, Georgia Tech students who are on freshmen orientation do not have to hear too much about crime issue around school campus though individual’s crime prevention is still, always important.

Skipping Class

Cessie Ryder

Skipping class is becoming more and more common on college campuses. In high school, it is different and less tempting to cut class because your day is structured with classes, one after another, and you have teachers and administrators there who will get you in trouble if you did not go. College is a whole different story. It is much easier to skip class when you only have a couple, usually very large, classes a day at all different times. You also do not have administrators there to give you “detentions” or get you in trouble; instead, your grade reflects your attendance.

Even though skipping class is very tempting in college, you should not do it! Going to class is necessary if you want to get a good grade in college. Just by going to class you are familiarizing yourself with the material that is being taught even if you do not necessarily pay attention the whole entire time. It definitely makes it easier to study when you are at least somewhat familiar with the material instead of trying to teach yourself everything right before a test.

Going to class also helps you develop good habits that will end up being very beneficial in the long run. By going to class, you are creating good study skills and keeping the stress away. You learn how to be a responsible, independent person because you are the one who has to make the decision to go to class or not, and you do not have your parents there to make you be responsible.

Campus Safety for Students

Ajit Vakharia

One of the main concerns a parent may have when their child goes to college is security and if their child will be safe walking around campus no matter what time of the day. The truth is every college finds it hard to give a hundred percent security for all its students but a lot of precautions are being taken place. After the dreadful shootings at Virginia Tech in the early months of 2007, the media has put a new emphasis on college safety and security. Many colleges have put new systems in place since to provide safety and security to all of their students. Even though a lot of measures have put in to place since the shootings, not enough is being done; students are still being robbed and mugged. Through a more improvised system, security can be granted to all students. A lot of city campuses do not have a distinct border and are more intertwined within the city. This makes it tough to provide security given that anyone is able to walk onto the “campus,” but if new rules and regulation such as monitoring what type of people walk around these city campuses and only students with special keys are allowed to enter buildings, colleges are given the chance to become safer places to help students grow and become into the people they hope to without having to worry about getting hurt. Another way for city campuses to become safer is to make campuses more enclosed in the city by making walls and making walkways for pedestrians only, prohibiting vehicles from being driven on campus. This way no unidentified automobile can come onto campus without being known of by the police or whoever may be looking after the institute. Colleges can only do so much to provide safety to students. Students can also do their part to make everyone around them and themselves safer such as: if walking at night time, make sure to walk with a group of people, and never carry around a lot of money in a flashy way, and not look vulnerable to criminals by looking scared or meek.

Diversity as a Part of College Communities

Jinhyun Kim

Many colleges in the United States have large campuses that form each community within them with a lot of different people including international students from all over the world. Diversity has become a big part of these communities. Therefore, colleges are trying several methods to help students that are from other countries in their adaptation to American culture and college communities.

According to the article "Orientation for Whites" by Scott Jaschik in Inside Higher Ed, many colleges started to make international students to attend a mandatory orientation for them prior to the orientation for all the students. The article also presents the two sides of opinions about this program by colleges. People who are in favor of this program suggest that this is a very good way to help foreign students feel comfortable in American colleges because it is making those students to meet many other people around the campus in advance. Also students can talk and share about differences in cultures. People who are against this idea claim that this additional orientation for international students will make them already separated from American students since the orientation is for international students, specifically and difficult to get along with each others.

In addition, colleges tend to focus mostly on international undergraduate students, especially on international undergraduate freshmen, by additional orientation in effort of promoting diversity. However, college communities consist of a large amount of people, and also there are many transfer students and graduate students that from other countries. If they are new to this culture, just like international freshmen students, they will appreciate the opportunities to accommodate better in new culture. For these people, colleges can have more and various events that can make diversity become a bigger part of campus communities.

I think colleges in the United States have a great advantage over the colleges in other countries. Not to mention the huge program of foreign exchange students, there is a lot of people from all over the world, and many of them are already everywhere in society of the United States. Colleges should be aware of this, and if make diversity as a bigger part of the community, they will receive numerous benefits for everyone sooner or later.

Sleeping in College

Subin Lee

College is one of the worst places to get a good night sleep. First of all, most new freshmen will not be used to the dorm they move in. Unlike their cozy homes, dorms are cramped, rickety, and noisy. It is quite hard for students to adjust easily into their tight quarters. First year of college is a whole new experience for freshmen, and they won’t just stay put in their rooms quietly. Though not all students will be partying crazy, the students that do party crazy all night long will create a significant amount of noise in the hallways, which would disrupt sleeping students.

Or, you might be one of the partiers. Noise is not the only factor that disrupts sleep for most students. College has numerous parties that students can join and bang up their night. Alcohol and drugs come together with parties, which might cause sleeping disorder.

The concept of freedom, where no one cares what you do, is college. When living at home, students probably had to sleep early, in order to go to school. Nevertheless, in college, it is not required for students to go to their classes; or even if they do, students have a choice no to, because it is not as strictly enforced as previous high school and middle school. Instead of going to their morning classes, many students have the choice of sleeping in, or just not go to class due to their laziness. Missing classes and sleeping in can then develop into a habit, which can also be another cause for sleeping disorder.

Another big issue that leads to sleeping disorder is procrastination, which many students develop in college. Procrastination is a killer in college, especially when there is a big homework due or an exam the next day. There said, college is a sleep killer for most students.

The Trip of a Semester: The Disadvantages to Studying Abroad

Cherish Weiler

According to the Institute of International Education, the number of U.S. college students studying abroad has increased nearly 8% in the last year. With so many students choosing to study abroad, the idea may seem appealing and perhaps beneficial for anyone interested in the idea. Oftentimes, faculty and friends praise the chance to live and study in a foreign country, noting personal experience or relating the experiences of fellow travelers. However, the decision to study abroad carries disadvantages that should be taken into consideration by prospective participants.

A study published in Open Doors 2008 by the Institute of International Education reported an increase of 150% in the number of U.S. students choosing to study abroad over the last decade. Students expect colleges and universities to have study abroad programs and oftentimes the absence of such programs weigh heavily on a students decision to attend a particular college. Colleges view study abroad programs as a mark of prestige and rank among other universities and usually community colleges rarely offer a multitude of study abroad opportunities. Colleges that do incorporate study abroad programs typically offer as many options as their resources and funds allow. The decision to study abroad may initially seem overwhelming; many times, faculty or advisers inform students of the benefits of studying abroad but fail to mention the disadvantages. For many students, traveling to a new country comes as a culture shock. Living and studying in a foreign country away from home, family, and friends can carry a heavy psychological toll if students are not able to cope with the change. Additionally, a student’s academic track may be affected due to the limited number and type of classes available in foreign countries or whether or not a semester away from their college affects their graduation date. A student may also discover they do not want to study the culture or language they are surrounded by; this unfortunate discovery would come after a student already paid for the study abroad program. The decision to travel abroad and study in a foreign country is a personal one; students must weigh the cons in addition to the pros and ultimately make the decision best for them.

Academic Freedom

Cheating: Is the Punishment Worth the Risk?

Cessie Ryder

The temptation to cheat in college is a big issue that many students face. They have to decide whether to give in to the temptation or stand strong and deny it. The course work in college is very difficult and involves a lot of time input and hard work. Most students enter college willing to put in this time and effort, but after a while many can become burned out on their studies or just get lazy and that is when cheating can look very tempting. Cheating is an easy, immoral way out of getting something done and students usually tend to cheat when they have procrastinated and are in a rush to finish something. Most people do not consider the full consequences of their actions when they cheat and do not take the time to think about if the effects and potential punishment is worth the risk.

Many colleges are extremely strict on their cheating rules and usually enforce a “no tolerance” policy. A lot of schools are working towards lowering the amount of cheating that goes on by enforcing honor codes and creating standards committees. Internet sites like turnitin.com that require students to upload their papers onto this website that then searches the entire Internet for anything that is plagiarized are also being utilized to catch cheating. Hopefully, through strict policies and special committees, colleges will be able to motivate their students to do their own work and reduce the amount of cheating.

Athletic Scholarships in College

Ajit Vakharia

According to Mike Knobler of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, athletes in college do not nearly have the academic credential their non athletic counterparts do. For example, the average SAT score difference between athletes and non athletes at the University of Florida is three hundred and forty-six points, the highest in the fifty-three schools polled. This raises the question about fairness. Is it fair that athletes with substandard credentials be accepted into colleges with higher requirements? The answer is no, and not because of their credentials but because of the scholarship money. According to a concerned citizen, their scholarship at a fairly expensive university is twenty-one thousand dollars while athletes with less than remarkable school statistics have a full ride scholarship. There are many students all around the country where their potential scholarship money is actually going to athletes, so the school has a better chance of recruiting. Though a school could potentially be making more money by having better recruitments and in turn having a better athletic program for different sports, the scholarship money that could go to more deserving students is being lost. In times of financial turmoil, student families need scholarships more than ever, and if schools are using their scholarship funds on athletics, a lot of students are missing out on getting the best education possible. One way for colleges to fix this problem is to only budget a certain amount of money to athletic scholarships, and only give out scholarships to those students who meet all the schools requirements and leave the rest of the money for students in need. If all colleges become stricter on requirements for their athletes, the playing field for all the teams would then be leveled leading to no unfair advantage between teams in the same division and conference.

Government Constructed Courses

Joel Kirby

The U.S. Houses of Representatives recently approved a provision to use half a billion dollars to develop college courses that will be free and offered online. The plan is for publishers and U.S. colleges to develop these online courses, and for colleges to accept them as college credit. This of course raises many issues associated with the U.S. government constructing college courses and offering them free of charge, while students currently pay to take online college courses. This would of course offer free education to individuals who cannot afford a college education, but at the same time undermine American higher education. The same goal could be achieved through other state funded projects that would not undermine American higher education.

Firstly, this plan could potentially raise issues concerning academic freedom. Federal Law protects intuitions’ teachings from state influence. Although the plan entails the government having third parties construct the online courses, government influence on curriculum is nonetheless something to be conscious of in this situation. Also, how will colleges and institutions fare when students can take a class outside of an institution that is free, and get college credit? College credit is certainly not something college officials hand out. Colleges make sure courses taken at another institution are adequate to receive credit at their school, and free online classes correlating to college credit by default may be against colleges’ wishes. In addition, free online classes would definitely affect the market for traditional online classes that cost money.

There are several approaches the government could take that would increase higher education among those who cannot feasibly afford it without compromising higher education. For instance, half a billion dollars could be invested in programs to raise revenue for financial aid. Although the government could simply give financial aid institutions half a billion dollars, investing in a national lottery that raises revenue over time would be more prudent. Also, instead of funding the development of its own online courses, the government could invest the money into the already developed online-course market. By using private companies’ already developed online curriculum, any perceived state-influenced bias would not be an issue.

New aspect of studying outside the classroom: Note sharing websites

Jinhyun Kim

Many of College students have experience in missing a lecture or struggling in class at least a few times. It is quite typical to see those students trying to borrow notes and getting help from others. Catching up with the notes that a fellow students has taken in class is a very good idea, but it doesn't always work or is tidious to find a good note. Focused on that matter, some bright entrepreneurs started note-sharing websites and made these tasks very easy for students. Those websites, such as GradeGuru, ShareNotes.com, and WiseCampus.com. These websites usually allow students to upload their lecture/class notes and share with any other students signed up on the website for free.

Since the notes on note sharing websites are online and free for everyone, which is an amazing thing about the Internet, any students who need extra help or notes can very easily find it. Also, the notes are from various students so they could provide different aspects of knowledge. Being online is a great advantage and has an extendability.

In contrast, since it is easy to get it, there could be some problems as well. It could promote students to have bad study habits. For example, some students might entirely depend on other students' note in their studying, which would not help the student in long run. Also, in the article "Taking Notes Beyond the Classroom" by Ben Eisen, external relations director for MIT Open Courseware, Steve Carson suggests that users should be able to distinguish between "sharing information from credentialed teachers at accredited institutions and sharing student notes that are not verified or fact-checked."

There are some both positive and negative effects along with the appearance of the note sharing websites. Despite of some drawbacks, these trend is expanding larger and more students are getting benefits from it. In addition, these trend could expand to much broader aspect of another study community outside the classroom. It could extend to a place that could have students discuss about their subject, school, or study aids, as Emily Sawtell, founder of GradeGuru describes in the same article.

Alcohol in college

Subin Lee


How does alcohol affect life in college? First of all, most freshman college students are not even twenty-one years old, which is the legal age for purchasing and drinking alcohol. Nevertheless, most freshman college students probably already have experience with alcohol, and imbibe alcohol during their freshman year. There are a variety of students among the college freshmen: nerdy studious students or ‘party party’ students. Yet the majority of the students experiment with alcohol.


As many say, college is where people experience all kinds of things. Among those experiences, alcohol is one of the most influential experiences that college freshmen go through. It isn’t just that drinking during first year in college is illegal, but also the after effects of drinking.Drinking itself in general affects the brain dramatically.



Drinking too much is a brain cell killer. Since college students need to go to class during the weekdays, most partying students heavily rely on their weekend with binge drinking. Binge drinking is proved to be a lot unhealthier than daily casual drinking. Many freshmen in college get literally trashed in frat parties, and have their memory of that night erased completely.

Each weekend significantly determines students’ health condition for the rest of the week. One heavy binge drinking party can pretty much annihilate one’s health for the rest of the week. This then critically affects the student’s body/brain performance negatively, and prevents them from going to classes or study with a fresh mind.


Though alcohol could be a useful, important social skill, the amount taken should be limited, and controlled wisely.

The Myth of the Benefits of Single-sex Education

Cherish Weiler

According to a report by the UCLA, female graduates of single-sex schooling are more likely to outperform their “coeducational counterparts.” The report claims that graduates from single-sex schools have greater confidence in their academic potential as they enter college and are more likely to become involved in college activities. While many assume a single-sex education is more beneficial than coeducational education, there is no proof to support these claims. In fact, single-sex education and coeducation are equally beneficial in their own way.

Supporters of single-sex education argue the benefits of such an education are more practical than anything else. Advocates of all-female education claim that women are less likely to be side-tracked by members of the opposite sex. This in turn allows students to focus on academics and become less preoccupied with dating. Many argue that there are biological differences in the way the two genders learn; that is females are evolutionary “wired” in a way that calls for a different type of learning than males. However, these claims lack sufficient evidence. Studies do not show that females do better in single-sex schools than males. Epstein reports that “there is no consensus among psychologists as to the existence of psychological or cognitive differences between the sexes.” The fact of the matter is there is no definitive data that supports the idea that single-sex education is more beneficial for women than coeducation.

While the attendance rates at women’s colleges have declined in recent years, women are still choosing to attend all-female colleges. The decision to experience a single-sex education is a personal one. Perhaps some students flourish more in the single-sex environment, while others thrive in a coed situation. However, students should understand the facts behind the claims made for the benefits of single-sex education before making their decision, namely that there is no definitive research supporting the so-called benefits.

The Cost of Sleep Deprivation

Cessie Ryder

Sleep deprivation is a common problem among college students. College freshman are now on their own without their parents telling them what to do or when to do it. They tend to take advantage of this freedom and go to bed whenever they want to, especially since they do not necessarily have to wake up early everyday. College consists of a new, unstructured schedule that is very different from the 8 am to 3 pm controlled schedule most people were used to in high school and elementary school. College students tend to stay up much later, maybe finishing up some homework or hanging out with friends, because their classes might not start until midday. The college social scene is also a breeding ground for sleep deprivation. On weekends, people usually do not go out until around 10 pm so they tend to stay out later, sometimes not getting home until 3 or 4 in the morning.

Sleep deprivation results in many negative short and long-term effects to one’s life. Lack of sleep causes one’s mind to have trouble focusing, therefore making it hard for one to study properly and effectively. Without effective study habits it is hard to maintain a high GPA in college. Not only can sleep deprivation affect one’s studies, it also affects one’s personality and health. Inadequate sleep results in mood swings or changes and weakens the immune system allowing for increased illness.

There is no alternative for sleep. Many college students tend to rely on caffeine from coffee or energy drinks to keep them awake when they are not getting enough sleep, but no matter how much caffeine one drinks it still does substitute for actual sleep. Naps are a good way to get some extra sleep in during the day and are easy to fit into one’s schedule in college because of the extra free time between classes. But, ultimately, college students need to realize the best solution for sleep deprivation is going to bed on time and getting enough sleep so they can get good grades and stay healthy.

Dress Codes

Ajit Vakharia

When students enter college, they enter a whole new world different from what they have been used to in high school. One main difference is the dress code. In many high schools, strict dress codes were mandatory for all students which include no low cut shirts, tank tops, shorts more than six inches above a lady’s knee, and no undergarments showing; while men were not allowed to “sag,” wear hats, shirts that relate to drugs, alcohol, or profanity. In college, students are allowed to wear whatever they want, as long as they have clothes on. There is no censorship, or certain amount of coverage a student needs when it comes to their clothes . Walk into any college classroom, a lot of girls will be wearing “daisy dukes” while a lot of guys will be wearing something offensive on their t-shirts. Should this be allowed? College students are seen as adults and capable of being allowed to wear whatever they may please, but it would not be a bad idea to implement a once a week “dress for success” day for upper level students as they begin to get ready for the work force in the “real world.” Dress for success includes wearing collared shirts and khakis for men and business clothes for women. This allows college students about to enter the workforce, become more motivated in their schoolwork and look good. Some argue that college is a center for higher education and should be treated with more respect such as an employee would do in the workplace, but college is also a home where students should not be forced to dress in a way they would not want to. College is also a time where students are still learning who they are and want to express themselves in different forms, and one way in doing so is through fashion. At Liberty University for instance, students to wear flip-flops, sandals, capri pants, and "neat" jeans to class and can also wear "modest" shorts in the dining hall and, after 4:30 pm. Dress codes need to be implemented on college campuses that are not as strict as most high school but enough to show respect to professors, classmates, and the school.

Are Colleges Responsible or Allowed to Protect Students Over the Internet?

Joel Kirby

In the digital world we live in, the internet has become an essential part of the education process for both college students and their professors. Email is a primary means of communication between teacher and student, and online books are common. The internet has also become a social outlet for many students, with networking sites like facebook and twitter becoming very popular. Unfortunately, gossip around campus is making its way on the internet, and personal attacks and defamatory remarks are not that uncommon on sites like “College Anonymous Confession Board” and “Campus Gossip”. Although students can post anonymously on such sites, many question whether college officials are “given the right” to censure such sites on their campus, or take action on reported cases of harassment. However, “online” defamatory remarks cannot be treated the same as “offline” defamatory remarks because the internet is accessible anywhere. Colleges should not try to referee or censor such online sites. Instead, Colleges should assist any student reporting harassment, and of course investigate into any physical threats made on such sites.

The issue colleges face nowadays in a cyber world is whether they have the same rights and responsibilities over students as a legal guardian does. The term “in loco parentis”, in regards to a college, refers to an institution basically assuming the role of a parent over its students. The nature of the governing relationship between college and student is, and has always been, debatable. The site “Juicy Campus”, arguably the most notorious “college gossip site”, was one of the first sites to present colleges with this predicament. While in operation, it allowed anyone to anonymously post comments on its site, had comments specific to particular institutions, and was a means of making personal attacks and liable comments about students. One of the first reactions of colleges was to restrict this site’s access. However, this was neither appropriate nor practical. Restricting access to a site may annoy students, but would not prevent students from accessing the site from their own apartment or the local Starbucks. Colleges cannot feasibly control students’ internet browsing, and should instead try to familiarize and educate students on the internet and its positive relationship with education.

A New Teaching Method: No Technology?

Jinhyun Kim

Technology has become very beneficial in education in aspect of both teaching and learning. The form and method have been changing over time, and they are getting better and better in purpose of making people's lives better. Nevertheless, some teachers are against this idea, and they suggest to remove technology in class. Not because of technology is harmful, but because it is not very effective in catching students' attention and keeping them interested. According to the article "When Computers Leave Classrooms, So Does Boredom" by Jeffrey R. Young in The Chronicle of Higher Education, a survey was conducted among college students, and they responded, PowerPoint presentation was "one of the dullest methods they saw". Also, they answered negatively in all computer-assisted activities, indicating less technology, less boredom in class.

However, I have a different point of view in this suggestion of no-tech teaching method. What if it is not the technology that bores students? What if teachers don't know how to utilize effectively to teach students? Technology develops faster and faster everyday. It is not easy to stay on top of all of the technology that come out new even for younger generation like current college students. Many college professors who have just been familiarized with technology might have some difficulty using the full power of new means in their teaching. If teachers use technology merely as a replacement of old method, there is not much of merit in using technology, and it will still bore the students. Teachers who are skilled in technology and using it effectively will see why people develop technology and use it in education.