Archive for the ‘School’ Category

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Women in STEM Careers


19 Mar

Posted in Discrimination, School, Science, Technology | Comments Off

Two studies on women in STEM careers have recently come out.

The first study argues that the reason more women don’t go into STEM careers is not about ability, but choice. Women who have high math scores also tend to have really high verbal scores and have a lot of choice about what they do, career wise.

This is followed by another study that says while the gender gap has closed, academia still hires a lot more men as scientists and pays them significantly more.

Which kind of answers the question of why women with choices might not choose science.

Free Education


03 Oct

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I have written a lot about Coursera and EdX at other places, but not here. I am currently taking a free course on Operations Management from Coursera, taught by a professor out of the Wharton School of Business at theUniversity ofPennsylvania. It’s free, so I am not getting any kind of credit, but that’s okay, I’m not taking it for credit.

University of Washington also offers classes through Coursera. They are hoping to soon add the option of paying a fee to get actual credit, which, depending on the price point, I think will probably be really popular.

Your Money Friday: Coming Home For College


14 Sep

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With the college school year having just started or about to start, here’s you question of the week. Is it okay for a kid who went away to college to decide they want to come back home after only one semester or one year? Plenty of people return to their hometowns after college. Is 4 years “away” really that important? And if it is, what about those kids that don’t leave for college- the ones that stay local and do not move until after graduation, or the people who never live outside their hometowns? Do they never actually grow up?

College Tuition


29 Aug

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“Student subsidies of classmates’ tuition add to anger over rising college costs”. The first personal story they give is of an out-of-state student. Guess what? Out-of-state students have ALWAYS paid higher tuition, and that “extra” money has ALWAYS gone into the university coffers to be used as the university deems fit- including to fund grants and aid to lower income in-state students.

Please don’t try to make me feel sorry for someone who chose UC Berkeley as an out-of-state underclassman. (Berkeleyfamously dislikes freshmen and sophomores and only takes as many as they have to to maintain 4 year status.)

School Rules


22 Aug

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I remember that my schools had dress codes and rules we had to follow, but lately it seems like things have gotten out of hand. In just the last few days, I have read articles about kindergartners not being allowed to wear t-shirts for out of state colleges (apparently, gang members never attend in state colleges), a high school valedictorian not receiving her diploma because she said “hell” in her speech at graduation, and a girl almost being kicked out of her gifted and talented program from having pictures on her notebook.

Do schools really need to go that far?

Your Money Friday: College Costs


27 Jul

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Think college is expensive now? Imagine what it will be like in 18 years, if the current trends continue. An MSN article believes state colleges could cost upwards of $40,000/year.

Over an YM, some are hoping it’s a bubble that will burst before their kids reach college age. Others are burying their heads in the sand and hoping “something” happens that will help them help their children afford college without a lifetime of debt. There’s also the theory that the rising cost of college will force enough people off the college path that more non-degree career paths will open up.

Support SNOPA


29 Apr

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Posted in Discrimination, School, Work | Comments Off

What would your response be, if, in an interview, your potential employer asked to tap your phone, read your mail, or be given the password to your email?  What if your child’s school asked to monitor your child that way? Chances are, you would say no, that those things are a gross violation of privacy.

It’s the same violation to require a job applicant or a student to provide their FaceBook log in information. If they make a public post that can be seen by anyone, that’s one thing, but if their account has privacy locks, that makes it private.

Your Money Friday: Federal Student Loans


27 Apr

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I can’t believe it’s already that time of year, but current high school seniors who are going to college next year are starting to get their financial aid award letters. So the question over at Your Money is about federal student loans- if both subsidized and unsubsidized are offered, do you have to take both? The answer is NO. Subsidized loans are a great deal- no interest while you’re at least half time in school and for a 6 month grace period after you graduate. Fur unsub loans, interest accrues and capitalizes. If you can afford it, subsidized loans only.

Old Dreams


11 Jan

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Posted in School, Science, Technology, Travel | Comments Off

Way back when, I was a History major who wanted a masters in Museum Studies and my brother was an Archaeology major. I used to have these fantasies of us working at an important archeological site together and finding something amazing, something like the Hallaton Helmet.

Dating from Emperor Claudius’s invasion of Britian around two thousand years ago, the helmet took over 10 years to restore after it was first found (by a guy with a metal detector, along with a number of ancient coins). What a perfect combination of the work of archeologists and the specialists at the museum.

Blog Feature: Money for College Project


24 Dec

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Posted in blogging, Finances, School, Writing | Comments Off

Today’s featured blog is Money for College Project, a personal finance blog that tries to focus on ways to pay for school without getting student loans- something I am highly supportive of, though I don’t find student loans to be the boogeyman that some do.

This week the question was specifically asked: Is a College Degree Worth Taking Out a Student Loan?

It is not a rhetorical question. It is a question the Occupy folks are asking, though after the fact. It’s a question that we as a society need to be answering. Should an education require mortgaging your future?

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