Pamela Yellen over at the Huffington Post gives advice on How to Avoid Graduating College Summa Cum Debt. I’ve read dozens of articles on this topic over the years and none have irked me and impressed me with their proposals and solutions the way Yellen’s article has.

Her main piece of advice is to flat out not head off to college at all “unless or until you can afford it.” Not the standard higher education version of the American Dream. Usually everyone’s telling young adults to do whatever they and their parents can in order to acquire a college diploma, regardless of how many decades beyond graduation both parties will be swimming in debt.

Whether you agree with her or not, it’s interesting stuff to think about:

Four Paths to a Debt-Free College Education
1. Save it first.
2. Postpone it.
3. Do it smarter.
4. Skip it altogether.

Further Reading:

Ways to Kick the Ass of Student Loan Debt
Number-Crunching the Effects of Student Loans
Adventures in Education: Paying for College
The Economy and Higher Education
No One Likes a Recession
Calculating Potential
Investing in Students’ Futures
Extremely Useful Guidance for the Newly Salaried
Fall 2011 Facebook App for Financial Aid
College Grads and Student Loan Debt
Arne Duncan: Direct Student Loans
Increased Tuition Increases Some More

Posted by Alexa Harrington

The unfortunate phenomenon of elementary-aged girls becoming interested in STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) subjects, going off to college intending to major in and then pursue a career in one of those fields, and ultimately veering off somewhat sharply into less science-and-math rich majors and careers is common.

Fortunately, it has not gone unnoticed by the chicks who have gone on to work in their dream STEM fields, and several entities have started working to foster girls’ education and career paths in STEM subjects.

Michelle Obama, not a STEM girl herself (what with being a lawyer and all), is all for supporting girls in math and science and gave a little talk about it recently. My favorite bits from the transcript:

And if we’re going to out-innovate and out-educate the rest of the world, then we have to open doors to everyone. We can’t afford to leave anyone out. We need all hands on deck. And that means clearing hurdles for women and girls as they navigate careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

And it starts with lighting the spark for science and math in elementary school and grade school. We talk about this all the time. I know for me, I’m a lawyer because I was bad at these subjects. (Laughter.) All lawyers in the room, you know it’s true. We can’t add and subtract, so we argue. (Laughter.)

And so encouraging girls early not to lose heart in those fields, and encouraging them through high school is important. But it also means making sure that these young women can keep pursuing their dreams in college and beyond.

Further Reading:

Why So Few Women In Science, Technology, Engineering and Math?
Dual Academic Careers
First Lady Michelle Obama Speaks to the Dept. of Education

Posted by Alexa Harrington

When you’re a fresh-faced newbie trying to make your way through this harsh and unkind world, it helps to have an older, wiser, more experienced hand to hold onto. Standing on the shoulders of giants makes the machete-hacking stumble through the jungle go a lot more smoothly.

Those giants are called mentors, and every chucklehead youngin’ like yourself wants one. The more awesome a mentor, the more sought out they are. This has the unfortunate effect of making them ignore most of the tweedle-dums who come begging for their priceless advice and knowledge. If you want to be mentored by the best, you’re going to have to be better than all the other chuckleheads at asking. Ramit Sethi has some advice for you.

Posted by Alexa Harrington

(standing on the shoulders of giants)

Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce recently released a study on how median earnings compare between 171 Bachelor’s egree majors in 15 categories: What’s it Worth? The Economic Value of College Majors. Yes, it sounds familiar—there are dozens of studies and reports out there ranking degrees and future earnings potential–but this one’s actually a shiny new study based on a larger research group, newly available census info, and includes gender and race/ethnicity data.

Excerpt from the press release:

Some of the findings include:

The top 10 majors with the highest median earnings are: Petroleum Engineer ($120,000);
Pharmacy/pharmaceutical Sciences and Administration ($105,000); Mathematics and Computer Sciences ($98,000); Aerospace Engineering ($87,000); Chemical Engineering ($86,000); Electrical Engineering ($85,000); Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering ($82,000); Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering and Mining and Mineral Engineering (each with median earnings of $80,000).

The 10 majors with the lowest median earnings are: Counseling/Psychology ($29,000); Early Childhood Education ($36,000); Theology and Religious Vocations ($38,000); Human Services and Community Organizations ($38,000); Social Work ($39,000); Drama and Theater Arts, Studio Arts, Communication Disorders Sciences and Services, Visual and Performing Arts, and Health and Medical Preparatory Programs
(each at $40,000).

So if you’re just in the college game for the money, go for Petroleum Engineer and avoid the Psychology Department at all costs.

Posted by Alexa Harrington

(image: petroleum engineering paraphernalia)

Loathe student loan debt and all the evil it represents? Congratulations! You are super special and we are here to celebrate the unique perfection that is you, you trailblazing badass!

Not really. It turns out you’re just like the rest of us. I thought I’d make better use of everyone’s time by pointing out the practical words of wisdom in Jill Greenberg’s article: How to Combat Student Loan Debt.

[I]f you’re currently a student or will be soon, how can you ensure you don’t end up with enormous debt that you can’t pay off? Here are some things you can do to lighten your financial load:

Think about ways you can reduce the cost of your education. Being a part-time student can help you lower fees each semester and give you time to work while you are going to school. While it may take longer to complete your degree, you can reduce the total amount of your debt by paying for some of your education while attending school.

Talk to your employer to see if they can help with tuition. If your degree pertains to your current job, your employer may offer some type of tuition reimbursement or assistance, so check in with your boss or your HR department.

Don’t borrow more than your starting salary. Financial aid expert Mark Kantrowitz cautions that if you borrow more than that, you’ll have to repay your loans with an alternate repayment plan like extended repayment or income-based repayment instead of standard 10-year repayment and extend the payments even longer.

Consider a job in public service after school. With federal programs like the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, you may qualify for loan forgiveness after 10 years of paying on time. In addition, some universities will also offer similar types of programs. More…

Posted by Alexa Harrington

(image: ninja!)

Posted by Alexa Harrington

The NY Times has the newest studies and infographics on how new college graduates are faring in this wicked-fun economy. Basically, the higher-educated are working for pennies in jobs totally unrelated to their fields of study.

Debt resulting from all that higher-ed tuition and all those textbooks is insane ($20,000 is standard), and must sting quite a bit for the delivery-truck-driving bio-chem majors who can barely afford rent, let alone visibly diminish their debt pile.

It’s no wonder some of the extra-pissed grads have headed back for PhDs—this tactic puts off the wretchedness of having to accept a job one is totally overqualified for and keeps the student loan debt collectors at bay. In a few years these super grads will be overqualified beyond all reason and will have enough debt to last them a lifetime. It’s a way to survive, yes. But the wrongness of that particular higher education life cycle hurts to witness. Whose brilliant idea was it to start charging for education? Stupid humans.

Posted by Alexa Harrington

Traveling is one of the better ways to educate oneself. Limitless learning opportunities exist the second you’ve exited your comfort zone. Look around, pay attention, interact or don’t—you’ll learn more about yourself, the world you’re in and the world you came from whether you mean to or not.

The freedom one gains when solo is one of my favorite elements of travel. Even when I travel with someone else, I seek out chunks of time to spend sans companion. Those solitary moments just walking and wandering and doing what I want never fail to be profound. I don’t mean for them to be, but a few hours of aloneness with no work to do and no people to deal with taps into that part of my brain I used a lot when I was a kid and had time to just think about everything and nothing.

Putting that perfect quiet into words has never been something I’ve tried to pin down and figure out why it is what it is. Ben Casnocha, summarizing the words of a friend of his, put that exquisite solitariness of travelers perfectly:

At a recent dinner with American friends who I met in Chile but who are now back in the States, we went around the table and each of us said what we miss and don’t miss about that skinny, long beautiful country in South America.

…One person said something interesting. She said she missed “the loneliness of Chile.” She explained.

When you’re in a place where you don’t know anyone and where you’re not expected to know anyone, it’s easier to enjoy your own solitude. If you don’t want to do anything on the weekends, you don’t have to — you aren’t getting many incoming calls or text messages. If you don’t have anyone to hang out with on the weekends when you do want to, well, that’s okay, because after all, you are a million miles away from your home base. More…

So maybe avoid traveling alone if you would prefer to not understand yourself better.

Posted by Alexa Harrington

(aya sofia)

It’s next year, which tends to trigger heaps of clean-slate thoughts and lots of getting-shit-done inspiration. For anyone wanting advice regarding career development/improvement, or maybe just a job, Lindsey Pollak has rounded up her Top 10 Job Hunting Tips of 2010.

Further Reading:

Job Search Advice For College Graduates

Posted by Alexa Harrington

(unemployed)

The New York Times Knowledge Network has announced its Spring 2011 schedule. From the press release:

The New York Times Knowledge Network Announces Spring 2011 Schedule

Register Today for Online Courses at www.nytimes.com/knownow

NEW YORK, Dec 13, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Registration is now open for the The New York Times Knowledge Network’s (www.nytimes.com/knownow) spring 2011 courses, offering a variety of unique online adult and continuing education opportunities. The spring roster will include Certificate Programs, For-credit courses, Continuing Education courses and expanded New York Times Programs of Study featuring new courses in arts and culture and business management.

“This semester, The New York Times Knowledge Network is enhancing its offerings by providing more courses in more areas of study than ever before,” said Felice Nudelman, executive director of education, The New York Times Company. “Our growth from individual courses to comprehensive programs speaks to the success we have seen over the years and further demonstrates our commitment to education.”
New York Times Programs of Study- are comprehensive online courses developed and taught by New York Times journalists. New courses this spring include:

Arts and Culture:
“¢ Beyond the Red Carpet: Oscar Talk with A. O. Scott
“¢ How to Listen to Classical Music with Daniel J. Wakin
“¢ Theater and Global Change with Ben Brantley

Business and Management:
“¢ The Corner Office: Lessons from Top CEO’s with Adam Bryant

Health and Science:
“¢ Understanding Global Viruses with Donald G. McNeil Jr.
“¢ Elder Care: Navigating the Maze with Jane Gross
“¢ Confronting Big Pharma with Barry Meier
“¢ Hazards of Radiation Treatment with Walt Bogdanich
“¢ Understanding the Middle-Aged Brain with Barbara Strauch

Navigating the Teen Years:
“¢ Staying in the Game: Young Athletes and Injury with Gretchen Reynolds and Alan Schwarz
“¢ College Admissions: Decision Time with Jacques Steinberg

Writing and Journalism:
“¢ Editing for Everyone with Don R. Hecker
“¢ Journalism 101: Reporting on Your Community with Mary Ann Giordano
“¢ Writing About Your Roots with Constance Rosenblum
“¢ Creating Video for the Web with Bill Horn

Popular courses from the fall schedule such as How to Start a Blog, Teaching Your Teen About Money and DNA Ethical Dilemmas will also be offered this spring.

Certificate Programs – are designed for professionals who want to learn new skills. This spring, these programs will be offered by the Knowledge Network in conjunction with Ball State University, The City University of New York, The Cooper Union, Florida State University, Rosemont College and Thomas Edison State College. Certificates include:
“¢ teaching
“¢ emerging media journalism
“¢ ePublishing
“¢ entrepreneurship
“¢ green building design
“¢ immigration law
“¢ paralegal studies

The Knowledge Network’s spring schedule will also present a rich mix of For-Credit and Continuing Education courses covering the areas of multimedia, journalism, business, art, food and health.

Certificate Programs range from $600 to $1,195; Continuing Education courses range from $200 to $500 and New York Times Programs of Study begin at $65. A full list of programs can be found at www.nytimesknownow.com.

The New York Times Knowledge Network, which uses the EpsilenTM platform, was launched in September 2007 to deliver lifelong learning programs on timely subjects. Through The New York Times Knowledge Network, extensive resources from The Times and other participating universities and institutions are readily available to students online, whether they are enrolled in an on-campus course or continuing their education through a distance learning program.

If you’re planning to add Learn More Stuff! to your New Year’s resolutions, I think the NY Times has you covered.

Posted by Alexa Harrington