quadblogs

Oct
7th

Tue

A Vision of Students Today

The above video, shot created by Michael Walsh in collaboration with 200 students at Kansas State University, captures what it is like to be a student in college today. Most of us, and more so you than me, grew up in a world of free information, seemingly unlimited choices, and instant gratification. Our view of the world is different. We experience the world in way fundementally different from they way our parents, or even older siblings look at the world.

It is important to understand that the world is changing, and that it is a good thing. Embrace the fact that you grew up spending more time than is probably healthy stalking people on myspace. Embrace your ability to multitask (ADD) and your detest for all things not easily found in the top 10 results in a Google search. The Olds may make you feel like you are lazy/uncultured/weird, or that you need to change your habits to succeed in life.

But you don’t.

Demand that there are computers in every classroom. Demand that your class involves collaboration with other students half-way around the world. Demand that your job gives you the flexibility to work, and live, when and where you want to. Demand that the place where you will spend the next four years of your life understands who you are, and how you see the world. Most schools haven’t caught up yet.

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Oct
6th

Mon

College Webcams, Lame Attempt to Be Hip

Colleges love to show you “what’s up on campus right now!” Most of the time, colleges mount a camera on top of a building on “the quad” so that you can see tiny little people walking across the screen. See this image from the Bowdoin webcam above? See the tiny person (or is that two people?) at the bottom? Wow, that’s cool! I almost feel like I am there.

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Do the Numbers Before You Accept

When prospective students are looking for that perfect school, most wont consider the true cost of college. Remember, the purpose of college is to help you get an education, so that you can more easily pursue a path in life that you find meaningful. If you are drowning in debt, this can be a lot harder than you think.

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Sep
30th

Tue

A university is what a college becomes when the faculty loses interest in students.

— John Ciardi (1916 - 1986)

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The Unfortunately Timely Class of the Day

This Williams class analyzes the rise and fall of civilizations in early “Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, Mesoamerica and South America”—looks like Williams might need to present day America.

ANTH 214(F) The Rise and Fall of Civilizations (Same as Environmental Studies 224)
Over the centuries, philosophers and historians have asked how societies evolved from simple hunter-gatherer bands to complex urban civilizations. Human prehistory and history have shown the repeated cycles of the rise, expansion and collapse of early civilizations in both the Old and New World. What do the similarities and differences in the development of these first civilizations tell us about the nature of societal change, civilization and the state, and human society itself? The course will examine these issues through an introductory survey of the earliest civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, Mesoamerica and South America. Classical and modern theories on the nature, origin, and development of the state will be reviewed in light of the archaeological evidence.
Format: lecture/class discussion. Requirements: midterm, final exam, paper, two quizzes.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 40 (expected: 35).

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Above is a video about the Vassar Baseball team. Those interested in baseball will be excited to know that Vassar’s huge renovation of of their athletic fields is finally done (except for the rugby field—that is charmingly the same). Apparently the Baseball field is the same sod that the Cleveland Indians play on, yay.

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Sep
29th

Mon

Library at Haverford

A beatiful library is absolutely necessary in order to get a good education, and Haverford passes the test. A beautiful study space can calm your nerves, awaken your mind, and inspire the very best part in all of us. This is all dependent on actually using the library, which no one really does.

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Totally Bitchin’ Class of the Day

For anyone wanting to liv out their detective fantasies, this class sounds awesome:

INTD 1055 CSI: Middlebury

Students will gain hands-on experience in forensic science and explore historical crimes from a modern perspective. Course topics and activities will include deductive reasoning, crime scene analysis, chemical and biochemical testing, and fingerprinting, among others. Students will meet with forensic professionals, analyze popular portrayals of forensic science (e.g., CSI episodes), and read classic mystery texts by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) and Agatha Christie (Poirot). The course will culminate with a murder mystery dinner.(M. Costanza-Robinson, M. Daugherty)

If I was in the college search process, this class probably would have made up my mind.

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